dribbled

verb

past tense of dribble
1
as in dripped
to fall or let fall in or as if in drops water dribbling over the lip of the fountain

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in splashed
to flow in a broken irregular stream rainwater dribbling along the partially clogged gutter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in drooled
to let saliva or some other substance flow from the mouth picnickers dribbling in eager anticipation of the hamburgers on the grill

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 dribbled Swanson received the long ball, dribbled toward the middle of the box before laying it off to Joseph for the opening goal in the 34th minute. — Phuoc Nguyen, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 Swanson received the long-ball, dribbled toward the middle of the box before laying it off to Joseph for the opening goal in the 34th minute. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 Taylor dribbled down the clock and hit a side-step 3-pointer over Veronica Burton. — CBS News, 22 Aug. 2026 The 20-year-old Venezuelan expertly controlled the ball with space to work, dribbled into the box, cut to his left and tucked it between Cleveland and the far post for his sixth MLS goal and 10th in all competitions this year. — Josh Gross, Daily News, 26 July 2026 Late in the first half, Michael Owen dribbled into the box and drew a penalty kick. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2026 Messi tracked down the loose ball, and dribbled towards the box before firing an absolutely perfect right-footed cross onto the head of Lautaro Martínez, who finished England’s dreams, and extended its pain. — Sean Gregory, Time, 15 July 2026 With Sacramento trailing 75-65, Clifford caught the ball near the 3-point line on the right side of the floor and dribbled toward the lane. — Josh Robbins, New York Times, 13 July 2026 One of the event’s biggest attractions was the Humanoid Soccer League, where robots passed, dribbled, defended, and attempted long-range shots in matches resembling human soccer. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dribbled
  1. dripped
  2. splashed
  3. drooled
  4. flowed
  5. washed
  6. spit
  7. bubbled
  8. trickled
Verb
  • Nidhi’s neighbor Payal had a cocker spaniel named Lucy, who regularly dripped spots of blood onto the driveway.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Despite the flow of cold air from the gap in the doorjamb, every first-floor window dripped with condensation.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of dripped
Verb
  • Some rolled and splashed in the shallows, regulating their body temperature after lying in the Arctic sun, others lay motionless, deep in sleep.
    — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Its blood had drawn crooked and contorted lines on the ground, as if a painter had splashed colorful strokes on a canvas to create a postmodern masterpiece.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of splashed
Verb
  • Who had broken a wrist on the back-yard flagstones, drooled cherry medicine down her sleeping face on the car ride back from the hospital.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
  • For Valentine's Day 2026, the retailer released a confetti glass icon candle that shoppers drooled over.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 June 2026
Definition of drooled
Verb
  • The world went in, and pliant, playful interpretations flowed out.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The result was a slurry of melting ice, rock and water that quickly flowed into the river.
    — Umesh Haritashya, The Conversation, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of flowed
Verb
  • And because nobody washed the dishes before tossing them into the feasting pit, King and his colleagues (in a 2017 study) could analyze the microscopic residue of ancient drinks that had soaked into the ceramic.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The towel is no longer absorbent or has a greasy-type feeling after it has been washed.
    — Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of washed
Verb
  • Anthony DeVore downed his shot like water, while his wife Savanna DeVore spit out most of hers.
    — Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • As the Giants drove into the red zone, Beckham even walked over to right tackle Marcus Mbow and appeared to ask the offensive lineman to spit into the receiver’s gloves to create some stick.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of spit
Verb
  • Drenching storms first bubbled up late Thursday morning in southeastern Pennsylvania and expanded northeast to parts of New Jersey and New York City.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The colors sparked an immediate sense of joy, and a fizz of anticipation bubbled through our group.
    — Megan Wilkes, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of bubbled
Verb
  • Yellow median posts block the kind of dramatic U-turn Knight took after the shooting, driving furiously back toward The Strip as blood trickled down his face.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The hardening of the administration toward all immigrants, undocumented or not, has trickled down to Idaho.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of trickled

Browse Nearby Words

dribble
dribbled
dribbles
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Cite this Entry

“Dribbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dribbled. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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