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
  • Evander scored a go-ahead goal from distance in the 82nd minute and Cincinnati beat the San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 on Saturday night in a game delayed over two hours due to weather.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The airport says arrivals to Denver are also delayed an average of 15 minutes and increasing due to the weather.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • While just around 3,000 of the 150,000 or so tests have been invalidated, all students – including those who, like Velázquez, are not suspected of cheating – have been left in limbo pending the result of UNAM’s investigation into the matter.
    — Mauricio Torres, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But after he was accused of cheating, the school suspended him for a year and gave him an F in the course Sourcing and Managing Funds.
    — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
Definition of cheat
Verb
  • The family dog, named by local media as Rocky, was found alive after one of the rescuers spotted his tail poking out of the rubble.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • While viral videos poke fun, territorial scrums over scarce Costco spots can turn ugly, and sometimes violent.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • Yet despite their clear burnout, most can’t afford to simply quit; not with the cost of living squeezing every paycheck, AI already closing in on entry-level roles, and one of the toughest job markets in years waiting on the other side.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • As a result, in 2015-16, regulators delayed the crab season for months, ultimately squeezing the typical seven months down to roughly two.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • Starting in Arraez’s place was Basabe, who has spent more time with the club than originally anticipated due to Matt Chapman’s lingering abdominal strain.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Skubal’s arrival answers whatever lingering questions there were about the Dodgers’ quest for a third straight title, as well as ones yet to pop up.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of linger
Verb
  • The spa The on-site spa could never be a flashy, luxury spa plucked from any random resort.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • However, no amount of personal story can pluck out the thorn in our side that Janet versus Danny.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 July 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • Oil prices got back to jumping on Wednesday, while sinking technology stocks dragged Wall Street lower amid uncertainty about what the Federal Reserve will do to get high inflation under control.
    — Stan Choe, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • Iran war could drag on for months The US-Iran war will likely drag on for months, analysts predicted, as new strikes disrupted a tenuous pause and the conflict widened.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • Balor was interrupted by Sami Zayn, who complained about being screwed out of his recent world title win.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Shanghai Electric also displayed several core robotic components, including a planetary roller screw that the company says can handle more than three times the load of conventional ball screws.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 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
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Cite this Entry

“Diddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddle. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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