diddle

verb

ˈdi-dᵊl How to pronounce diddle (audio)
Definition of diddlenext
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

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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
  1. delay
  2. cheat
  3. poke
  4. squeeze
  5. linger
  6. pluck
  7. drag
  8. screw
Verb
  • When that first weekend closure did happen, Sunday night rain did not delay the lanes’ opening early Monday.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 19 July 2026
  • The midfielder was deemed to have delayed a restart by throwing the ball away.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • For anyone still motivated to cheat, election systems in the United States are designed with multiple layers of protection and transparency intended to stand in the way.
    — Ali Swenson, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
  • The president used California, a favorite target, to hint that Democrats were cheating.
    — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of cheat
Verb
  • Her breasts poke at the thin fabric of her gown, and there are shadows in the folds of the bed linen.
    — Diane Williams, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
  • This included one of their players poking a finger into the ear of the Belgian penalty-spot protector Diego Moreira, and responding to the reactionary elbow to the tummy by going down, and staying down, on top of the penalty mark.
    — Geir Jordet, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • Barbara Rainey, a Cherry resident of 76 years, said a school bus hit her cousin’s car while trying to squeeze between vehicles parked on either side.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
  • Tournament football isn’t generally conducive to pressing, with so many matches squeezed into such a short window, and without the cohesion that comes from club sides training together for months.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • The floods drew attention to still unhealed wounds — and lingering regrets.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • But perhaps the performance that lingers most in our minds is that of Elliot Page, 39, who in just a few short scenes anchors the film with his guileless sincerity and righteous anger.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 July 2026
Definition of linger
Verb
  • The fact that celebrity landed upon him, plucking him from the obscurity of his mission to represent the burgeoning discourse on the disease, says more about the world that orbited him than his actions on the island or his own political nous.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
  • And their semi-final victory over England was plucked from another incredibly precarious position.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • The European Space Agency’s ClearSpace-1, planned for 2029, tackles the harder case by capturing the unprepared, noncooperative Proba-1 satellite and dragging it down to burn up.
    — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
  • Hellerstein appeared skeptical that the parties would resolve all classified-information questions by June, noting that the process can drag on.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 July 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • Additional updates include a screw-down crown that increases water resistance to 100 meters.
    — Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Thus, the outright majority of American voters, the Independents, get royally screwed again in favor of folks who represent about a quarter of Americans, thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision.
    — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026
Definition of screw
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Phrases Containing diddle

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Cite this Entry

“Diddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddle. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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