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
  • An Iranian military official said that Qatar has been delaying a probe into the fate of three pilots, whom Iran says have been held there for months, according to state media.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The opening of the Wynn Al Marjan Island has been delayed to September 2027.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • Last year, Anthropic found that if a model is allowed to cheat during training, the cheating becomes a habit.
    — Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Tae-ha’s mom left him after Sang-gil, who was also a boxer prior to becoming a thug, cheated in a match.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheat
Verb
  • Dike was waiting in the middle to poke it home, giving Orlando a 1-0 lead.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But regardless of any lack of confidence in Hamas’ true intentions, in Mladenov’s faith in the ability to verify weapons decommissioning, or indeed Netanyahu’s own willingness to order any troop withdrawals, why poke Trump so publicly in the eye?
    — Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • Cheap electric cars dominate one end of the market, Tesla occupies the premium end, and the middle is getting squeezed.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Washington is trying to choke Iran's ability to get its crude out while Tehran is squeezing the artery through which everybody else's crude gets through.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • In astrology, Venus governs love, pleasure, money, relationships and values, while Pluto exposes what’s lingering beneath the surface.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Any lingering hope that Netanyahu could be convinced to take part in such an endeavor now looks for the birds.
    — Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of linger
Verb
  • Doubs plucked the ball over Gonzalez, who had successfully backed him near the boundary but couldn’t box out the 6-foot-2 receiver entirely.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
  • This machine will actually press the strings down between frets and pluck those strings in time, like a human guitarist.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • Pourrain submitted a request for extension of his stay, was awaiting an appointment, the process dragged on for years, and in the meantime, he was granted a work permit and had a valid driver’s license.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But Beaman is quick to point out that people shouldn't simply head into the woods and start dragging things out themselves.
    — Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • Even Bari Weiss hasn’t figured out a way to screw that up (not yet, anyway).
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a storyline in season two about AI being employed at the hospital, then screwing everything up when the system goes down.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 11 Aug. 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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did by
diddle
diddled
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Cite this Entry

“Diddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddle. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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