stalling 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in blocking

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in procrastinating

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Despite multiple warnings issued by Elizabeth Police to stay off the roads, CBS News New York saw many drivers take their chances and pay the price, getting stuck or stalling. — Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 Similar legislation failed to pass in 2023 after stalling in a committee hearing, and in 2018 after pushback from the ACLU California Action, which remains opposed to this year’s version of the bill. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026 More news Endangered mountain lions are stalling a plan to build 400 residences on Woodland Hills golf course. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026 While the White House agreed in July to grant Ukraine a license to build Patriots, manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are stalling a joint-production deal as executives weigh feasibility and licensing hits red tape, DefenseNews reported. — Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Private equity takeovers of doctor groups are stalling Over a dozen states now have laws enhancing their oversight of private equity deals in health care. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 17 Aug. 2026 Are accounts entering the pipeline and moving or stalling after the first call? — Kelly Hopping, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Observers note a similar transactional caution in Trump stalling on a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan—the largest ever—to avoid derailing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming state visit. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 Aug. 2026 Mendoza went three and out on his third drive, but then methodically marched the offense down the field before stalling. — Sam Warren, New York Times, 14 Aug. 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
  • But the index has stayed within 2% of the peak, the pullbacks so far halting a handful of points above what had been the top of the former multi-month range.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Harris credited Aledo’s coaching staff for halting the Panthers' offense in the second half.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of halting
Verb
  • Working together can save people from getting sick or dying from Salmonella.
    — Kimberly Baker, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
  • So, turn around your thinking and instead of dying with the largest bank balance, aim for $0.
    — Medora Lee, USA Today, 31 Aug. 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
  • Dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors handle stopping duties, an important part of controlling a large fat-tire e-bike in traffic or on a downhill section.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Chiefs focused their defense on stopping Barkley, and, while he was limited to 57 rushing yards on 25 carries, that opened up things for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who completed 17 of 22 passes.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of stopping
Verb
  • Experts said it was most likely caused by a partial glacier collapse that sent tons of ice and rock crashing down into the valley below, setting off a powerful landslide.
    — Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But Maddy can’t run away forever, and her past comes crashing into her new Italian life in the most chaotic way imaginable.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of crashing
Verb
  • There was no catching the Redhawks on this night with Hayes playing like a world-beater.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • During the show, he was filmed skiing to the South Pole, catching a giant anaconda, milking a venomous tarantula and diving under the ice of the North Pole.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of catching

Browse Nearby Words

stalled
stalling
stallion
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All