stalling 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in blocking

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2
as in procrastinating

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stalling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of stall
1
as in halting
to bring (something) to a standstill endless complaints stalled the process of selecting the winning design for the memorial

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2
as in dying
to stop functioning the engine stalls sometimes when it's very cold outside

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stalling
Adjective
The tense talks continued into a second day but concluded without progress, in a diplomatic effort that seemed little more than another stalling game for Putin. — Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026 Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows promised swift action and vowed to brook no more stalling tactics from Democrats. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
The memoir also details Cooper’s crippling, career-stalling struggles with substance abuse during the late ‘70s and goes into depth about his subsequent re-embrace of Christianity and his current beliefs and practices. — Gary Graff, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2026 Tropical disturbance in the Gulf Coast Rain is expected to continue in central Florida, where a stalling frontal system is now draped. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 With broader crypto legislation stalling in Congress, regulators are exerting their existing powers to address individual parts of the market, said Jeff Ko, chief analyst at blockchain infrastructure service provider ViaBTC. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026 The result is a more effective change with fewer rumors needing correction, fewer objections stalling adoption and fewer managers left to improvise for their teams. — John Radman, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Similar legislation failed to pass in 2023 after stalling in a committee hearing and in 2018 after pushback from the American Civil Liberties Union. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026 The first round could arrive as early as tomorrow night for places along I-80, with the line of showers stalling out along I-80. — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 Several of those penalties came at crucial moments, repeatedly stalling drives and preventing FIU from putting points on the board. — Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026 Once again, a significant hurricane is stalling, putting the Big Island in the crosshairs of robust tropical moisture. — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stalling
  1. blocking
  2. decelerating
  3. halting
  4. dying
  5. slowing
  6. stopping
  7. crashing
  8. catching
Adjective
  • The winner was the player who avoided being blocked the longest — a blocking game, a category of strategy game where the objective centers on restricting your opponent’s movement.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026
Definition of blocking
Adjective
  • The stock has declined nearly 28% in 2026, largely due to concerns over the social media platform’s decelerating year-over-year traffic growth and its sensitivity to macroeconomic conditions.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of decelerating
Verb
  • Kean, who has voted against resolutions aimed at halting military action in Iran, defended the war.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • By halting those exports, the thinking goes, domestic diesel prices would drop due to a flood of fresh supply, lowering costs for farmers, commercial trucking companies and thousands of other businesses that rely on the fuel.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of halting
Verb
  • Inspectors also observed a dying adult cockroach on the floor nearby, two live adult cockroaches on a glue stick in a storage room, and a dead adult cockroach near the employee restroom entrance.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The police do not record victims by race, but in a majority Black country with violence clustered in the townships, the map tells you who is dying.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of dying
Adjective
  • And, through it all, stocks have continued to steadily rise, buoyed by hopes for Fed rate cuts, stronger-than-expected corporate earnings and slowing but stubborn confidence that an AI boom might reap big rewards for investors.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Definition of slowing
Verb
  • Executive chef Gil Dumoulin often makes the rounds in the dining room, stopping to discuss the food with guests, which is a nice touch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This is not an argument for fear or for stopping useful innovation.
    — Babajide Ojuola, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of stopping
Verb
  • But Doral business owners and residents report federal agents are carrying out immigration arrests, sparking fear among neighbors and crashing business activity in the city, home to one the largest Venezuelan communities in the country.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Thiero started the summer moving too quickly through games, crashing into the lane and flying recklessly toward the rim.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of crashing
Verb
  • Her complexion was lit-from-within radiant, with the warm pink pigment catching the light across the tops of her cheekbones.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In 134 career games, Stewart rushed for 7,335 yards and 51 touchdowns while catching 162 passes for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of catching

Browse Nearby Words

stalled
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Cite this Entry

“Stalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stalling. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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