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Synonyms

while away

British  

verb

  1. (tr, adverb) to pass (time) idly and usually pleasantly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

while away Idioms  
  1. Spend time idly or pleasantly, as in It was a beautiful day and we whiled away the hours in the garden. This expression is the only surviving use of the verb while, meaning “to spend time.” [First half of 1600s]


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.

Working his acoustic guitar with a French horn accompaniment — French horns! — he dares us to balance our relentless socioeconomic drive with our deep need to hang out, to while away the hours.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

Any such changes in U.S. accounting rules would be a while away.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

Discussing the time frame, Herbert says the new version is "a while away".

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2025

The men, who have known each other since their earliest days in Los Angeles politics, now form a political odd couple while away from their families in California.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 26, 2024

On some vacant land nearby, he could while away long summer days by digging elaborate underground tunnels—cool, dark, subterranean retreats from Spokane’s sometimes searing dry heat.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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