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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Dozens of state Democratic lawmakers staged a two-week walk out, fleeing Texas to temporarily delay the bill’s passage.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
25 Aug. 2025 -
The couple were engaged in 2016, but Harris said the the COVID-19 pandemic and fires that broke out through the Kelowna region in 2023 forced them to delay their plans for a wedding.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Jay Cooke, who had once been lionized for his role in financing the Union victory, was attacked in the press and accused of cheating ordinary Americans out of their savings.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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Here, Ruhian diversifies his skill set, killing people at a distance with a bow and arrow, which feels like cheating.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Cloudy and rainy conditions prevail throughout the morning, then in the afternoon the sun pokes through with calm winds.—
Kendrick Calfee
June 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
Cover the jar with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
Verb
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In an era of squeezing margins, a deliberate focus on premium products is a business survival tactic.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Competition from Chinese brands and Beijing’s export restrictions on rare earth elements and semiconductors have squeezed Germany’s flagship sector.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Granted, none of them linger long enough to make a lasting impact, either.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
His latest album, Infinite Black Inside, is a thorough exploration of the ideas—evasive rhythmic switch-ups, jazz melodies, busy textural interactions—that have often lingered in the margins of his more functional output.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Elsewhere on the ruby red carpet, Greta Lee paid homage to beloved cowgirl, Jessie, brought to life by Joan Cusack in all five films, wearing a red and white spherical, one-shoulder gown plucked straight from the Christian Dior spring 2026 couture runway.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
10 June 2026
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Either way, what ancient musicians realized is that changing the length of a string also changed its vibration when plucked, which in turn changed the musical pitch.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Expectations of higher oil prices as the war drags on have kept long-term bond yields elevated, causing mortgage rates to mostly trend higher.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
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Across a 90-foot wall at the Orlando Museum of Art, Tommerup assembled three monumental pyramids built from canvases dragged through the ocean and Biscayne Bay, dried in flowering trees and tossed from rooftops at dusk, surrendering part of the creative process to nature itself.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Verb
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For a young Chinese person, interest in the wrong subject can seriously screw things up.—
Han Zhang,
New Yorker,
10 Dec. 2025
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Once everything is mixed, screw the lid back on, shake and enjoy.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
10 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Diddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddle. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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