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

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
  1. delay
  2. cheat
  3. poke
  4. squeeze
  5. linger
  6. pluck
  7. drag
  8. screw
Verb
  • The tests could easily do the opposite, as people with results suggesting cancer require follow-up testing that overwhelms our healthcare system, potentially delaying diagnoses for people with cancer.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The game was one of many across the Southland delayed or postponed by lightning, particularly in Orange County.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • There are people out there saying that the Brewers are cheating.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • There’s simply no evidence of widespread voter cheating anywhere.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheat
Verb
  • But with just a step to her other side or a shake of her head on stage, the near-auburn shade moves to the forefront, with dimensional pieces of golden blonde poking through.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 30 Oct. 2026
  • In the close-up clip, the Gossip Girl actress’ face is completely covered except for her eyes, nose and lips poking through a white face mask.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil artery between Iran and Oman, has sent oil and gas prices on the uptick, squeezing Americans at home.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Drain collard greens and squeeze gently to remove excess water.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • Onshore flow lingers on Tuesday, then begins to lessen on Wednesday.
    — Felix Rodriguez, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Much like on Baby Keem’s Ca$ino, another recent rap epic undone by its author’s inability to overcome lingering trauma, BigX can’t always navigate around his unnamed haters.
    — Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of linger
Verb
  • The Royals plucked manager Matt Quatraro from the Rays organization in 2022.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Orioles plucked Jared Banner from the Cubs to be their new general manager under Mike Elias.
    — Josh Tolentino, Baltimore Sun, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • Difficulties dragging the Tyler Technologies project over the finish line dogged Preckwinkle throughout the primary.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
  • No evidence of foul play was discovered, though the investigation dragged on.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • Slide that bit in and simply hold it to the screw head, and the driver then uses its powered head to screw or unscrew it.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
  • These are games with names that have become synonymous with the sport, but lately, our corporate overlords have decided to screw with another tradition that is nearly universally loved by college fans.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 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

Browse Nearby Words

did by
diddle
diddled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Diddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddle. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of abandon

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All