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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The contest was delayed for about 10 minutes in the fourth after plate umpire Ron Kulpa exited due to taking a foul ball off his mask.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026 -
Along with Buttó, right-hander Hayden Birdsong underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery, while right-handers Joel Peguero (Grade 2 hamstring strain) and left-hander Reiver Sanmartin (right hip flexor) sustained injuries that delayed the starts to their seasons.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The chat room was on fire, because Magnus Carlsen had lost to the kid—Hans Niemann—and then implied that Hans had cheated.—
Ben Mezrich,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
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Most people would agree that cheating and planning a school shooting are hardly equal offenses, and Borgli doesn't totally stick the landing by sweeping Emma's past impulses under the rug.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Wrencher said Russell once tied her to a chair, poked her with a knife, and threatened to burn the house down, the son said.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Both characteristics were on full display when Drasner hit the local airwaves with a television commercial that promoted The News and poked fun at one of its upstart rivals.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Skiers and snowboarders trying to squeeze the last bits of winter fun from Colorado‘s meager snowpack will have one less option after this week, with Vail Resort set to close 11 days sooner than planned.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
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The disruption has not only sent fuel prices soaring, but has squeezed supplies of petrochemicals needed to make everyday items like shoes, clothing and plastic bags.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Just the check, the soft clatter of plates and that lingering smell of basil and coconut that follows you out the door.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
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The children are now in the fourth grade, but Thompson believes their friend’s death has had a lingering impact on their lives.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ten miles away, members of the Navy's SEAL Team Six plucked the missing weapons system officer from the mountainside.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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The United States pulled off a daring rescue of two aviators whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran, plucking the pilot from behind enemy lines before setting off a complicated extraction of the second service member who hid deep in the mountains as Tehran called for Iranians to help capture him.—
Seung Min Kim,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In addition to being concerned about targeting, is there a sense from other people in the country that some Shias had brought this on themselves by supporting Hezbollah, and that Hezbollah dragged this country into the war?—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
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The paraeducator said Vaughn-Marcella allegedly grabbed the boy’s feet and dragged him 10 to 12 feet out of the classroom, according to the affidavit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As if she’d been presented with a tidy, screw-like riddle from the Sphynx.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
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A lot of times, much of a Hollywood memoir is someone saying this person screwed me over, this bad thing happened, and so on.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Diddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddle. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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