malingers

verb

present tense third-person singular of malinger
as in lazies
to pretend to be sick or injured in order to avoid doing work Because of his frequent absences, his boss suspected he was malingering.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for malingers
  1. idles
  2. fools
  3. bums
  4. messes
  5. rests
  6. lingers
Verb
  • As your car idles, warm air blown from the top of your dashboard will melt the ice on the outside of the windshield.
    — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
  • Security camera footage shows a black vehicle park in front of Café Bernardo, a restaurant, and idles for about two minutes.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2025
Definition of idles
Verb
  • Sebastian Galeano fools the Lake Mary defense by carrying it himself and scampers 40 yards for the touchdown.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Runway, Pika, and a dozen others can produce footage that fools the eye on first watch.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Definition of fools
Verb
  • Critical thinking really bums them out.
    — Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Then Jason and Thor shower together, each lathering the other’s back and bums up with fewer orgasms than an old Herbal Essences commercial.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Definition of bums
Verb
  • Ships, like airplanes, are designed with fluid dynamics in mind, and biofoul seriously messes that up.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • From pet hair to crumbs, this Shark handheld cordless vacuum cleaner can tackle messes large and small, thanks to strong suction and a self-cleaning brush that resists pet hair accumulation.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
Definition of messes
Verb
  • While much of the film’s reputation rests on Scott’s exquisite visual style, the director says credit must also be given to the rhythms Fancher created.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Her son Alex's bright red jacket rests on a hook by the door of her art studio.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of rests
Verb
  • Inside Fort Worth's Cowboy Coliseum, a historic 1908 indoor rodeo venue in the heart of the city's famous Stockyards, the gunpowdery smell of pyrotechnics lingers in the air.
    — Christine Lennon, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Sorsby eventually withdrew from college and gave up the fight, but the lawsuit lingers on — triggered by a state court order that had temporarily allowed Sorsby to play despite the NCAA longtime ban of players who gamble.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of lingers
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.

Browse Nearby Words

malingering
malingers
malison
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Cite this Entry

“Malingers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malingers. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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