What does "dangle" mean?
An agent of one intelligence agency or group who pretends to be interested in defecting or turning to another intelligence agency or group.
Dangle
/ˈdæŋ.ɡl̩/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An agent of one intelligence agency or group who pretends to be interested in defecting or turning to another intelligence agency or group.
- Grammar: dangle is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: swing, advertise, affect, air.
- Useful contrasts: anchor, decide, resolve.
- Usage evidence: If you dangle a shoelace in front of my cat, she'll play with it.
How to use "dangle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dangle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dangle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dangle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dangle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dangle" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "swing" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dangle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An agent of one intelligence agency or group who pretends to be interested in defecting or turning to another intelligence agency or group.
"The example of Oswald will show how the different operations of a dangle and a barium meal would work more efficiently together."
- 2 The action of dangling; a series of complex stick tricks and fakes in order to defeat the defender in style. slang
"That was a sick dangle for a great goal!"
- 3 A dangling ornament or decoration.
"So her father wrote to Mrs. Herring, and one day she arrived and turned out to be a little, lean old lady with a dark brown mole on one leathery cheek and wearing a black bonnet decorated with jet dangles, like tiny fishing rods."
Verb
- 1 To hang loosely with the ability to swing. intransitive
"His feet are dangling in the water."
- 2 cause to dangle or hang freely wordnet
- 3 The action of performing a move or deke with the puck in order to get past a defender or goalie; perhaps because of the resemblance to dangling the puck on a string. intransitive, slang
"He dangled around three players and the goalie to score."
- 4 hang loosely wordnet
- 5 To hang or trail something loosely. transitive
"I like to sit on the edge and dangle my feet in the water."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 To put forth as a possibility. broadly, figuratively, transitive
"That it happens to have been produced under the imprimatur of Michael Bay dangles the possibility of poor taste, but unfortunately, bombast and conspicuous consumption are nowhere to be found."
- 7 To trail or follow around. dated, intransitive
"To dangle at the elbow of a wench who can't make up her mind to accept the common title of wife, till she has been courted a certain number of weeks — so the old blinker, her father, says."
- 8 Of a patient: to be positioned with the legs hanging over the edge of the bed. intransitive
"Record the time and duration of dangling, patient's pulse and respirations and patient's general tolerance of the procedure. […] The next step usually in getting the patient out of bed is sitting […]"
- 9 To position (a patient) in this way. transitive
"Using proper body mechanics for dangling a patient at the side of the bed."
Example
"If you dangle a shoelace in front of my cat, she'll play with it."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dangle"?
Common synonyms include: swing, advertise, affect, air, around, attach.
How do you use "dangle" in a sentence?
If you dangle a shoelace in front of my cat, she'll play with it.
How do you pronounce "dangle"?
Pronounced /ˈdæŋ.ɡl̩/.
Etymology
Uncertain, but likely of North Germanic origin, akin to Danish dingle, dangle, Swedish dangla (“to swing about”), Norwegian dangla, perhaps via North Frisian dangeln; all possibly related to Old Norse dengja (“to hit”).