idly

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.

Maybe it is plainly shameful to sit idly by, waiting for the police to peel back more layers of abominable detail, so it can be quickly disseminated to a hungry audience.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026

No government would sit idly by as its citizens were subjected to such unfathomable horrors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

Related: My mother is selling my late father’s multimillion-dollar California real-estate portfolio — must I stand idly by?

From MarketWatch • Dec. 10, 2025

If one feels their species is threatened, surely they can’t sit idly by.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025

She scrunched up her face, her fingers idly stroking the horse’s nose.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby