dangle

1 of 2

verb

dan·​gle ˈdaŋ-gəl How to pronounce dangle (audio)
dangled; dangling ˈdaŋ-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce dangle (audio)

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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
dangler noun

dangle

2 of 2

noun

1
: the action of dangling
2
: something that dangles

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
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.
Verb
Diddy trial live updates: Diddy allegedly dangled woman over balcony, threatened to kill her Who is 'Mia'? Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 June 2025 The longtime friend and former co-worker of Combs' ex-girlfriend Ventura testified that Combs dangled her from a 17th-floor balcony and threw her into a coffee table in a moment of unprovoked rage. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 5 June 2025
Noun
For apartment dwellers and people who prefer not to dangle midair, this clever contraption looks like a window-cleaning game changer. The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2025 Hulking hunks of protein dangle inside two dry-age refrigerators. Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dangle

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish dangle to dangle

First Known Use

Verb

1565, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dangle was in 1565

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dangle. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

dangle

verb
dan·​gle
ˈdaŋ-gəl
dangled; dangling
-g(ə-)liŋ
1
: to hang loosely especially with a swinging motion
2
: to be left without proper grammatical connection in a sentence
a dangling participle
3
: to cause to dangle : swing
dangler
-g(ə-)lər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dangle

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