idling

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.

But the sounds of idling diesel work truck engines had replaced the dozens of fire trucks that had been stationed there for days.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

"I don't think anyone who is struggling with fuel costs would benefit from sitting in an idling queue with their engines turning over and their fuel being wasted."

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Lines of idling trucks stretch several miles to the nearby U.A.E. port of Khorfakkan, which is picking up shipments that can’t reach Dubai anymore.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

More than 200 tankers are idling on both sides of the strait, leaving Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar unable to transport crude oil and petroleum products.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

When the 46th Guards were quietly idling their engines, maybe the cowering soldiers below imagined that the swooping wings sounded eerily like witch’s broomsticks soaring through the dark sky.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein