as in minor
lacking importance
you should delegate these fiddling matters to your staff so that you can focus on more important issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fidgeting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in twitching
to make jerky or restless movements
the executive fiddled with a pen as she impatiently waited for the meeting to begin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
conscienceless grifters who had spent their lives fiddling the naive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fiddling
Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Colorado’s lone goal was a result of some Matt Wells tactical fiddling — and Keegan Rosenberry playing like his job’s on the line — gone right.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Because the two cameras on the drone are rotatable via a pivot mechanism, the drone can also just use one camera, pointing forward, to shoot conventional 4K videos, meaning these are just regular videos with set framing and do not need any fiddling in post-production.
—Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2026
But the mayor’s dramatic tale of his predecessor’s fiscal fiddling was designed with a clear political agenda in mind: both to underline the magnitude of the problem and to identify the villains responsible for this perfidy.
—Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2026
As the options for facial fiddling have become more accessible, the face is increasingly regarded as an image to be perfected.
—Valerie Monroe, Allure, 15 Jan. 2026
For those deep in the Apple ecosystem who want headphones that just work without all the fiddling, the Beats Solo 4 make sense with a 25% discount.
—PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
Now scientists have found that, with a little fiddling, the feathers can be adjusted to turn flashes of light into laser beams.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 5 Aug. 2025
That means they’re perfectly aligned from the get-go, with no need for after-the-fact fiddling.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Nov. 2016
Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
But none of these tracks really explore their ideas as much as just fiddling in place, with any initial energy fizzling out almost immediately.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 9 Mar. 2026
But in private, Arthur advises her to exercise a little more discretion in her, um, fiddling.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
The party that fails this test will be remembered — if at all — as the one fiddling while Rome was automated.
—Matt K. Lewis, Twin Cities, 19 Aug. 2025
Haggard was fiddling on the new strings when Marian, Dad’s mother, who’d taken over as the store’s bookkeeper, walked by.
—Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
Her fiddling is a looser, freer, more accessible type of memorialization—less a notation than an invocation, a summoning of her homeland’s spirit.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Colorado’s lone goal was a result of some Matt Wells tactical fiddling — and Keegan Rosenberry playing like his job’s on the line — gone right.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Because the two cameras on the drone are rotatable via a pivot mechanism, the drone can also just use one camera, pointing forward, to shoot conventional 4K videos, meaning these are just regular videos with set framing and do not need any fiddling in post-production.
—Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2026
But the mayor’s dramatic tale of his predecessor’s fiscal fiddling was designed with a clear political agenda in mind: both to underline the magnitude of the problem and to identify the villains responsible for this perfidy.
—Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2026
As the options for facial fiddling have become more accessible, the face is increasingly regarded as an image to be perfected.
—Valerie Monroe, Allure, 15 Jan. 2026
For those deep in the Apple ecosystem who want headphones that just work without all the fiddling, the Beats Solo 4 make sense with a 25% discount.
—PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
Now scientists have found that, with a little fiddling, the feathers can be adjusted to turn flashes of light into laser beams.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 5 Aug. 2025
That means they’re perfectly aligned from the get-go, with no need for after-the-fact fiddling.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Nov. 2016
Verb
On Sunday, the lineup includes Tatiana Hargreaves, a rising-star in the bluegrass fiddling scene, with her band and special guest Michael Daves; the honky-tonk duo Caleb Lauder and Reeb Wllms with their band the Cali Cutups; and Pleasanton native and all-world strings player Tony Furtado.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
But none of these tracks really explore their ideas as much as just fiddling in place, with any initial energy fizzling out almost immediately.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 9 Mar. 2026
But in private, Arthur advises her to exercise a little more discretion in her, um, fiddling.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
The party that fails this test will be remembered — if at all — as the one fiddling while Rome was automated.
—Matt K. Lewis, Twin Cities, 19 Aug. 2025
Haggard was fiddling on the new strings when Marian, Dad’s mother, who’d taken over as the store’s bookkeeper, walked by.
—Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiddling
Adjective
-
The dog and another dog of theirs that came outside when the woman first opened the door are expected to recover from minor injuries suffered.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
OpenAI was reportedly served with a subpoena seeking information about its approach to advertising, consumer and health data, minor and senior users and models, among other activities.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Canines might be stressed and anxious, which can be shown through panting, whining, barking, pacing or fidgeting.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Nov. 2025
-
That fit may cut down on mid-session fidgeting during a video call or while answering a quick text.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
-
Durrell alternates between slapstick domestic high jinks, wanderings through the lush natural landscape, and increasingly ambitious investigations of biological life, from tracking twitching bacteria in pond water to the mating habits of insects.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The reunion comes 15 years after the couple divorced amid rumors of a cheating scandal.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
-
Here, Ruhian diversifies his skill set, killing people at a distance with a bow and arrow, which feels like cheating.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
After selling baklava at the Stock Show, the Unlus rented their first resraurant space in a small Eighth Avenue food hall.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
-
The Virgo moon asks you to focus on the small tasks.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Martín Pérez was on the mound for the home team, a soft-tossing veteran lefty who was pumping in 89-mph sinkers.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
20 June 2026
-
During the opening match of the World Cup last week, some Mexico fans were seen tossing sombreros in delight as their team defeated the Republic of South Africa 2-0, but the hats might come in handy for the rest of the tournament.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
County officials pointed to state budget cuts and a $276,000 drop in liquor revenue as factors squeezing finances.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
18 June 2026
-
Grip the handles on the sides of the machine, tighten your core, and extend your legs, squeezing your quadriceps (top thigh muscles) at the top.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fiddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiddling. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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