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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When that early foundation is delayed or inconsistent, the effects don’t stay confined to those first years.—
Tina Dello Russo,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026 -
San Diego is delaying most impacts of a new state law that requires cities to allow high-rise housing near trolley stations and major bus stops — but questions persist about how many bus stops the new law will affect.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Though that 2017 championship is marred by one of the most egregious cheating scandals in baseball history.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
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The penalty killers can’t cheat towards one or two guys.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Aggressive bears are known to stalk, claw and even bite tourists in Great Smoky National Park, but rangers say one recent encounter involved a bear poking a hiker with its big wet nose.—
Mark Price
May 12,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
-
Many curious passersby poked their heads inside, wondering if the restaurant was serving food again.—
Iris Kwok
May 12,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
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It was triggered, in his telling, by the record oil price spike of June 2008, which forced ordinary households to absorb more than $2,000 in additional energy costs on top of adjustable-rate mortgage resets that were already squeezing them.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
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Gas prices, housing costs and groceries are squeezing people who are working hard yet still falling behind.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Damp conditions inside the drum encourage mildew and lingering odors that can be tough to remove from fabric.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
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The filmmaker explores how Inés’ coming of age mirrors the lingering wounds of Chile’s political transition to democracy from the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet – a theme at the heart of Martelli’s feature debut Chile ’76, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The purpose was to attract buyers and visitors to a city that seemed to be plucked out of a storybook.—
Joshua Ceballos,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
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The rounds came and went, one linebacker after another plucked off the board in front of him.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The Carboniferous period dragged on for sixty million.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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Perhaps the aether did exist, but it could never be construed as being in motion by an observer on the Earth, because the aether itself was being dragged by objects traveling through space, such as the Earth, explaining why a null result was obtained.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Finally, the professional will install hangers to reinforce your gutters before screwing the mesh guard on top.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
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And to screw your head onto any of it was really impossible to do.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
3 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Diddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddle. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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