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
  • Some of that January increase reflects workers who secured jobs during the final months of the previous year but delayed their start dates.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is pouring billions of dollars into developing a domestic tech ecosystem under his Vision 2030 program, even as some mega-projects are delayed.
    — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • Some of the common concerns addressed by the guidance include the privacy of student data being input into AI systems, the potential for cheating and emphasis on human input and verification.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In an atmosphere of uncertainty—and given prevailing concerns about students using AI to cheat—such bans would seem to make some sense.
    — Sian Leah Beilock, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of cheat
Verb
  • Traditionally, there’s this rendering of hell as a dark cave with fire, and there’s the devil with a pitchfork poking everybody with it.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
  • With the help of Nollet, Anderson’s hair was blown and teased away from her forehead, with tinges of pink poking through.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • As more homes come onto the market and mortgage rates remain elevated, sellers are increasingly adjusting prices to attract buyers who have been squeezed by affordability challenges.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The surge has raised concerns that higher gasoline prices could squeeze household budgets and weigh on consumer spending.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • Still, there was a cloud of public doubt lingering over the event.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The afterburn of his relationship with Charleson lingers affectingly, though.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of linger
Verb
  • That’s what life is like for NFL players who were plucked off the waiver wire last week, or those who have signed with a new team last week after not making their old team’s initial 53-man roster.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Last January Nessie O’Neil, a graduate student in biology at Miami University in Ohio, watched as a young pygmy raccoon plucked a receipt from the paper trash.
    — Isabel Gil, Scientific American, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • Planning a trip between friends is like a game of chess, between coordinating schedules, budgets and other logistics that can drag on, no matter how fun the trip sounds.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Any attempt to walk him ended with me dragged across the asphalt behind his drumstick legs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • The New World screwworm lays eggs on warm-blooded animals – which can include humans – and its larvae screw themselves into the living flesh,leading to infections and sometimes death.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Like her, Americans are also so tired of being screwed by an administration that’s not only grossly incompetent and cruel but corrupt as well.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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