twiddle

verb

twid·​dle ˈtwi-dᵊl 

twiddled; twiddling

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

see also:

twiddle one's thumbs

Synonyms of twiddle

• play (with)
• toy (with)
• fiddle (with)
• fool (with)
• tamper (with)
• tinker (with)
• mess (with)
• diddle (with)

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 on the Web

Scroll on my phone, check if my passport is still there (for the 1,000th time), and twiddle my thumbs? —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

However, that doesn't always mean waiting around and twiddling thumbs. —Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026

Three years ago, Justin Zheng, an entrepreneur in San Francisco, lay groggy in bed while a group of venture capitalists twiddled their thumbs waiting for him. —Matt Fuchs, Time, 8 Dec. 2025

Until the field becomes clearer, political media, would-be campaign contributors and California voters will just have to twiddle their thumbs. —Dan Walters, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing twiddle

• twiddle one's thumbs

Rhymes for twiddle

• diddle
• fiddle
• griddle
• middle
• riddle

Kids Definition

twiddle

verb

twid·​dle

ˈtwid-ᵊl

twiddled; twiddling

ˈtwid-liŋ, 

-ᵊl-iŋ

: to rotate lightly or idly

twiddle one's thumbs