twiddle

verb twid·dle \ ˈtwi-dᵊl \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of twiddle

twiddled; twiddling play \ˈtwid-liŋ, ˈtwi-dᵊl-iŋ\

intransitive verb

1 : to play negligently with something : fiddle

2 : to turn or jounce lightly

twiddles round and round in the water
—J. B. S. Haldane

transitive verb

: to rotate lightly or idly

twiddled his pen

— twiddle one's thumbs

: to spend time idly : do nothing

See twiddle defined for English-language learners

See twiddle defined for kids

Examples of twiddle in a Sentence

Just twiddle the dial on the radio a bit for better reception.
Twiddle the knob on the telescope until things are in focus.
She twiddled her pen while she talked on the phone.
She twiddled with her pen while she talked on the phone.

Recent Examples of twiddle from the Web

Although the national momentum is being driven primarily by Democrats — and Republicans aren't as likely to criticize the president — Republican women aren't twiddling their thumbs.

— kathleen parker | opinion, Anchorage Daily News, "Thanks to Trump, maybe this really will be the year of the woman," 21 Mar. 2018
At the precise moment, the radio folks twiddled their dials and history arrived at Parkside over frequency 145.805 megahertz.

— steve rubenstein, San Francisco Chronicle, "Orbiting astronaut talks life in space with San Bruno students via ham radio," 7 Mar. 2018
Trying to gather virtual friends in the game and have Nintendo-like fun felt largely like twiddling thumbs in a jail cell.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Nintendo’s Miitomo shutdown is a wake-up call for its smartphone track record," 25 Jan. 2018
For The Daily Times at Salisbury's deep dive into the community's rental housing problems, which have left a disproportionate number of residents burdened by high costs while the city appears to twiddle its thumbs.

— USA TODAY, "Arizona Republic, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel lead 2017 USA TODAY Network journalism awards," 7 Mar. 2018
There was a time when our parents had to hand write a Valentine's Day letter, physically walk to the mailbox to send it off (gasp!), and twiddle their thumbs until the object of their affection received their message.

— marissa miller, Teen Vogue, "11 Valentine’s Day Cards for Everyone in Your Life," 13 Feb. 2018
In today's world of smart phones, you'll never be left to twiddle your thumbs, so plan to arrive early and catch up on emails, etc.

— stewart welch, AL.com, "100 Rules of Success: Advice for new employees (and old)," 1 Nov. 2017
Positioned right over the shoulder of Smith throughout the hearing, a costumed hearing attendee twiddled his facial hair and adjusted his eyepiece throughout the hearing.

— chris morris, Fortune, "Why the Monopoly Man Trolled the Senate Equifax Hearings," 4 Oct. 2017
And Donald Trump is not one to twiddle his thumbs while Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan get their act together.

— NBC News, "Meet the Press - September 17, 2017," 17 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'twiddle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of twiddle

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1540

See Words from the same year

twiddle

noun

Definition of twiddle

: turn, twist

First Known Use of twiddle

1774

TWIDDLE Defined for English Language Learners

twiddle

verb

Definition of twiddle for English Language Learners

: to turn (something) back and forth slightly

TWIDDLE Defined for Kids

twiddle

verb twid·dle \ ˈtwi-dᵊl \

Definition of twiddle for Students

twiddled; twiddling

: ¹twirl

I twiddled my thumbs.

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See words that rhyme with twiddle Nglish: Translation of twiddle for Spanish speakers

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twiddle

Definition of twiddle

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Origin and Etymology of twiddle

twiddle

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TWIDDLE Defined for English Language Learners

twiddle

Definition of twiddle for English Language Learners

TWIDDLE Defined for Kids

twiddle

Definition of twiddle for Students

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Origin and Etymology of twiddle

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Definition of twiddle for Students

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