HANGING (AROUND) Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

hanging around

verb

present participle of hang around

as in remaining

to continue to be in a place for a significant amount of time if you hang around until my husband gets home, you can meet him

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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 hanging around As the daughter of two classical singers, she was used to hanging around backstage and going along with the rhythm of theatrical days. — Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026 Dorothy recalls patrons hanging around the shop for hours, running her hands along a rainbow of silk ties, and picking up tailor pins with her cousins to pass the time. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026 May Rosenberg, the wife of the critic Harold Rosenberg, once visited Krasner’s studio and assumed that the man hanging around in dungarees, not saying much of anything, was an intellectually disabled janitor. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026 And no one was hanging around Jane Doe’s former sorority house, except for a round-the-clock security guard parked in the driveway. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026 One bonus has been the discovery that feline family members of various New York households especially enjoy hanging around the batteries. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026 Then there’s snake, tiger, zebra, and deer print…cow print is still hanging around too. — Fiona Ward, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2026 Christian grew up hanging around a locker room with Hall of Fame players like Davis, John Elway, Steve Atwater, Gary Zimmerman, Shannon Sharpe and others. — Sam Jane, Denver Post, 1 Oct. 2026 Peas, mushrooms, asparagus, or whatever else is hanging around the crisper would be just as welcome. — Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanging around

Verb

Rarely does a pop album so deftly lay bare the trickery of pop albums, while remaining a compelling pop album in its own right.

— Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
The lawyers also raised the possibility of seeking dismissal of the remaining charge on double jeopardy grounds, arguing that the earlier acquittal could legally bar a second trial on certain issues.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of remaining

Verb

His hands hovered waist high, eyes watching the downturning arcs of his teammates’ shots, waiting for a pass that never came.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
In the meantime, renters and would-be buyers are left wanting and waiting for more and better inventory to end the nonstop searching and bidding wars.

— Dave Carlin, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of waiting

Verb

Officers continued to investigate and searched the location where the suspect was staying, finding items believed to be connected to the burglaries, officials said.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Staying the course through uncertainty But capturing growth required staying committed to the strategy through uncertainty.

— Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of staying

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“Hanging around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanging%20around. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hanging around

verb

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