idle
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Machinery breaks down and sits idle for months because parts can’t be imported or paid for through normal banking channels.
From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026
"But it's not lost on me that these are not idle threats," Balmer said.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Taiwan has at least three months of oil stockpiled, and it is turning on some of its coal-fired plants, 40% of which are typically idle, and buying coal from Indonesia and Australia.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
Meanwhile, the two U.S. battery plants GM spent billions of dollars to build are idle, unable to make the cheaper batteries that the automaker needs for the $30,000 vehicle.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
I stopped, turned the engine down to idle, and looked up.
From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien
Vocabulary lists containing idle
Some Tricky Homonyms
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The Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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