1
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
even though the hurricane was fast approaching, federal and local politicians wasted precious time diddling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
an unscrupulous Broadway producer diddles little old ladies by persuading them to invest in a surefire flop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diddle
Verb
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Consequently, the plane's takeoff was delayed for three hours after the investigation began.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026 -
The funding freeze had threatened to eliminate about 1,000 jobs immediately and delay replacement of a 110-year-old tunnel vital to Northeast rail transportation.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Celia Arguerro, who also has a handicap parking permit, is tired of waiting for reform to catch people cheating the system.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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He likely already would have been inducted were in not for his part in the Astros’ ugly cheating scandal in 2017.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Jacksonville incident poked at the tension.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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The Stars pulled even when Nils Lundkvist poked a rebound past Hellebuyck on a shot from Duchene with five minutes left in the second period.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Impacciatore, squeezed into a skin-tight Power Rangers suit, performed an entire clowning routine where she’s accosted by abstract embodiments of various winter sports throughout history.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2026
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Sometimes, producers work with players to squeeze their take into the allotted time.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Forecast models show those same signals developing again, suggesting Ohio’s winter may linger longer than usual despite Buckeye Chuck not seeing his shadow on Groundhog Day.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Feb. 2026
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Experts say a lingering cold air mass across the Midwest could keep temperatures below historical averages well into early spring.—
Brandi D. Addison,
IndyStar,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The three Democrats addressed the letter on Wednesday to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, urging the agencies to review recent deals in which tech companies have paid to pluck specific employees from startups without acquiring the companies entirely.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
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For one, open transferring and revenue-sharing for players have made Power 4 schools more inclined to swoop in and pluck smaller schools’ more finished products rather than develop their own.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Demanding papers, dragging away dissenters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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Slave catchers could capture them, kidnap them and drag them back South.—
Jesse Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Was Tony Kiritsis really screwed out of a legitimate business deal?—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
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Nevertheless, on a clear if cold day the three walked through several inches of snow, screwing in the new signs.—
Jesse Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Diddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddle. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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