dangled; dangling
ˈdaŋ-g(ə-)liŋ 
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
2
a
: to keep hanging uncertainly
b
: to hold out as an inducement
Synonyms
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
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 23 Oct. 2024
That my press credential dangled from a string around my neck and came to rest on my breasts made all the difference.
—Melissa Ludtke, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024
Ali Faccenda, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
Jolie selected a sleeveless champagne satin dress, pairing it with a black cape, jeweled dangle earrings and metallic pumps.
—Hannah Malach, WWD, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dangle 
Verb
With every wrong guess, one of countless swords dangling from the high ceiling plunged into the floor below.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 23 Oct. 2024
That my press credential dangled from a string around my neck and came to rest on my breasts made all the difference.
—Melissa Ludtke, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024
Noun
En Pointe Nutcracker Earrings The brand’s intricate dangle earrings are among its most popular pieces.
—Ali Faccenda, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
Jolie selected a sleeveless champagne satin dress, pairing it with a black cape, jeweled dangle earrings and metallic pumps.
—Hannah Malach, WWD, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dangle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dangle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Dangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dangle. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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