dangle
verb
dan·gle
| \ ˈdaŋ-gəl
\
\
dangled;
dangling\ ˈdaŋ-g(ə-)liŋ
\
\
Definition of dangle
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to hang loosely and usually so as to be able to swing freely
2
: to be a hanger-on or a dependent
3
: to occur in a sentence without having a normally expected syntactic relation to the rest of the sentence (such as climbing in "Climbing the mountain the cabin came into view")
a dangling participle a dangling modifier
1
: to cause to dangle : swing
dangled her feet in the water
2a
: to keep hanging uncertainly
b
: to hold out as an inducement
dangle
nounKeep scrolling for more
Other Words from dangle
Verb
dangler
\ ˈdaŋ-g(ə-)lər
\
noun
\
noun
Examples of dangle in a Sentence
Verb
Let your arms dangle at your sides. She sat on the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the water. He dangled a piece of string in front of the cat. The money she dangled in front of him wasn't enough to convince him to sell. They refused to accept the money that was dangled before their eyes.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Those who don't want a chunky hub dangling from their laptop, or those who don't usually connect more than one accessory at a time, will appreciate the Nonda adapter's simplicity. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Guidemaster: Ars tested and found the best USB-C accessories you can get now," 25 July 2019 The Duchess of Cambridge accessorized her flawless BAFTA look with a pair of diamond and pearl dangle earrings which belonged to Princess Diana. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton Wore the Smartest Tweed Suit to the Mental Health in Education Conference," 13 Feb. 2019 Jagger-bopping in a white tuxedo jacket and dangling his microphone carelessly from its cord, like a Catholic priest swinging an incense burner. — Drew Lazor, Philly.com, "Review: Harry Styles adds edge without sacrificing boy band appeal at the Wells Fargo Center," 16 June 2018 Last summer, Erlich used his installation Pulled by the Roots to challenge people's perception of construction work by dangling a home (complete with roots) directly above a construction site. — Bridget Mallon, ELLE Decor, "Add This To Your Travel Bucket List: Leandro Erlich's Swimming Pool Exhibit," 13 Jan. 2016 Spider-Man: Far From Home, her most recent film, is roping in a giant segment of its audience by dangling the question of whether Zendaya and Tom Holland are secretly in love. — Constance Grady, Vox, "What makes Zendaya a great celebrity," 15 July 2019 None of us — whether by dangling off buildings or running billion-dollar companies — come here to be lazy or fail. — Amgad Naguib, Twin Cities, "Amgad Naguib: Lazy people don’t immigrate," 11 July 2019 Thirty of them live in manufactured burrows, small black boxes connected by a tube resembling a tunnel that sits below a small cage with a piece of dangling black drain pipe for play. — Andrew Nicla, AZCentral.com, "Late hours, no pay, diminishing returns: Scouring the Arizona desert for black-footed ferrets," 10 July 2019 Peter's own love interest, MJ (Zendaya), is dangled by a series of awkward will-they-or-won't-they flirtations that feel painfully formulaic. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Spider-Man: Far from Home," 1 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Extra square footage can be put underground, often dug while the old Victorian dangles in the air above it. — Nancy Keates, WSJ, "The Millionaires Living in the Mining Cabins," 1 Nov. 2018 Wiring dangles from ceilings in rooms that look out at the massive grey slabs of the separation barrier. — Washington Post, "AP PHOTOS: Unfinished Palestinian parliament a grim symbol," 6 July 2018 In a meat market, rows of aged prosciutto dangle from steel rods above displays of sausages, fresh cuts of meats, and an almost-holy litany of salumi: mortadella, prosciutto pratomagno, pancetta, coppa, lardo, mondiola, biruldu. — Necee Regis, BostonGlobe.com, "Resort’s Tuscany cooking class has all the right ingredients," 2 July 2018 The unidentifiable figure, an Iranian Everyman, seems about to take a cautious step forward — or, more sinisterly, dangles suspended in space. — Christopher Knight, latimes.com, "In Iranian art show at LACMA, the past wrestles with the present," 4 June 2018 In his hand, a semi-automatic weapon dangles from his fingers. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, ""13 Reasons Why" Season 2's School Shooting Plot Presents a Dangerous "What If?"," 21 May 2018 With four Sharks draped over him, Tuch skated through all of them, left a little dangle and dazzled with a finish that went straight past Martin Jones. — Kristen Nelson, SI.com, "Stanley Cup Playoffs Roundup: Golden Knights, Fleury Post 7-0 Beatdown Against Sharks in Game 1," 27 Apr. 2018 Therefore, a pardon dangle, especially one by the president’s private lawyer, could twist up not only the client, but also the lawyer, in a criminal obstruction probe. — Sean Illing, Vox, "I asked 11 legal experts if Trump’s lawyer obstructed justice," 29 Mar. 2018 First, a dangle of a pardon is different than the issuance of a pardon. — Sean Illing, Vox, "I asked 11 legal experts if Trump’s lawyer obstructed justice," 29 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dangle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for dangle
dangle
verb
English Language Learners Definition of dangle
: to hang down loosely especially in a way that makes it possible to swing freely
informal
: to offer (something) in order to persuade someone to do something
See the full definition for dangle in the English Language Learners Dictionary
dangle
verb
dan·gle
| \ ˈdaŋ-gəl
\
\
dangled;
dangling
Kids Definition of dangle
1
: to hang loosely especially with a swinging motion
The keys were there, dangling in the ignition.— Louis Sachar, Holes
2
: to cause to hang loosely
We dangled our feet in the water.