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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And schools that delay submitting transfer paperwork until the last minute thinking investigators will be too busy to spot an error don’t understand the process.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026 -
The initial flight was delayed, causing everyone on the flight to miss their connections in Iceland.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Verb
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The fans were cheated Sunday out of a chance to see an interesting pitching matchup between Shota Imanaga and Dylan Cease, the former Cubs farmhand and former White Sox pitcher.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
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For example, a spouse who catches their partner cheating and kills someone in the heat of emotion.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Cloudy and rainy conditions prevail throughout the morning, then in the afternoon the sun pokes through with calm winds.—
Kendrick Calfee
June 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
Cover the jar with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Blend roasted red peppers with V8, and add Worcestershire sauce and freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice for a fresh alternative to bottled bloody mary mix.—
Ashlyn Ware,
Midwest Living,
20 June 2026
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With electric vehicles continuing to gain share, that further squeezes European carmakers.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Granted, none of them linger long enough to make a lasting impact, either.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
His latest album, Infinite Black Inside, is a thorough exploration of the ideas—evasive rhythmic switch-ups, jazz melodies, busy textural interactions—that have often lingered in the margins of his more functional output.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
16 June 2026
Verb
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His torso and thighs grow eye-poppingly muscular beneath their skimpy fur-and-leather togs—a development that does not go unnoticed by a warrior named Red Hair, who plucks the young hunk from his post and tosses him into the prime time of the gladiator pit.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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As with the studio version, the track began with Lifeson plucking out a delicate intro on a nylon-string guitar before blasting into monster electric riffs.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
14 June 2026
Verb
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As the conflict in the Middle East has dragged on, pressure has been building on Capitol Hill to intervene.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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In an unprecedented moved in May, Lebanon filed a formal complaint against Iran at the United Nations Security Council, directly accusing Tehran of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations for interfering in its sovereign decisions and dragging the country into war.—
Mireille Rebeiz,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Now, Greg is screwed because, one week in, everyone is having a great time.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
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Do you guys sit in a circle and talk about visceral ways to screw over people?—
Carita Rizzo,
Deadline,
16 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Diddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddle. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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