turtling

American  

[tur-tuhl-ing] / ˈtɜr təl ɪŋ /

noun

1. the practice of avoiding conflict by withdrawing or retreating, or by confining oneself to defensive action as opposed to taking the initiative to engage.

2. the act or practice of fishing or hunting for turtles.

3. the act or practice of sitting or kneeling with the torso curved inward and the head lowered.

4. the act or practice of moving or acting at a very slow pace.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

turtling

At the last second, both instead ducked for cover, turtling with their arms around their heads.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2025

Far Tortuga is a treatise on turtling, an account of the dying days of sailing ships on unspoiled waters, and a history of a locale that winter tourists tripping through the Caribbean rarely see.

From Time Magazine Archive

The natives must have left the island either on account of its being now the turtling season, or else from the want of water.

From Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By the Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During the Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries and Surveys in New Guinea, the Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. to Which Is Added the Account of Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition for the Exploration of the Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist to the Expedition. — Volume 2 by MacGillivray, John

Then, while the Swiftsure kept station to watch for any turtling craft that might sound the alarm, Winston hoisted the Defiance's new sails and headed on past the Point, directly along the coast.

From Caribbee by Hoover, Thomas

The canoes engaged in turtling, besides going about in the day, are often sent out on calm moonlight nights.

From Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By the Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During the Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries and Surveys in New Guinea, the Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. to Which Is Added the Account of Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition for the Exploration of the Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist to the Expedition. — Volume 2 by MacGillivray, John