while away

verb

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

Idioms and Phrases

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

In 2004 I went to an election night party at Crobar, a terrible nightclub on the west side of Manhattan, because it seemed like a fun way to while away time as we waited for the polls to close.

From Slate

A number of footballers have had their homes burgled while away playing in recent years, including Raheem Sterling during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

From BBC

In 2022, the NFL suspended then Atlanta receiver Calvin Ridley for the entire season for gambling on NFL games a year earlier while away from the Falcons addressing mental health concerns.

From Seattle Times

He says despite the pandemic laying bare the vital importance of haulage to life in the UK, lorry drivers continue to face a shortage of safe places to stop, difficulties accessing medical care and other services while away from home and poorly maintained roads.

From BBC

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

Related Words

• consume
• devote
• employ
• go
• kill
• put in
• waste