diddled

verb

past tense of diddle
1
as in dragged
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 cheated
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 diddled
  1. dragged
  2. cheated
  3. delayed
  4. hustled
  5. lingered
  6. squeezed
  7. poked
  8. plucked
Verb
  • When Twain lunched with Theodore Roosevelt, he was dismayed that the president dragged in his Rough Rider exploits in Cuba three or four times.
    — Ron Chernow, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
  • The bureau said government spending, exports, consumer spending all drove real GDP growth, while imports dragged.
    — Dan Mangan,Luke Fountain,Kevin Breuninger,Garrett Downs,Ashley Capoot,Justin Papp, CNBC, 2 July 2026
Definition of dragged
Verb
  • Hell may hath no fury like a Red Devils squad feeling cheated after the shocking FIFA decision to allow Balogun to play tonight in Seattle.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Billups is accused of participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games tied to La Cosa Nostra organized crime families that cheated unsuspecting gamblers out of at least $7 million.
    — Ed White, Twin Cities, 29 June 2026
Definition of cheated
Verb
  • Nearby bus routes that pass were also delayed or partially suspended.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • For some development perspective, Bridenstine brought up NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which, though also severely delayed for years leading up to its debut, managed a completely successful mission right out of the gate.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of delayed
Verb
  • Angela George The program's pacing and energy feel hustled this evening as organizers try to make up for two hours lost because of storms earlier in the day.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • He was hustled by Charlie Parker and was part of the American delegation at the inauguration of his good friend Nelson Mandela.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 3 July 2026
Definition of hustled
Verb
  • Those motivations, and the curiosity behind them, have lingered with me years later.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 6 July 2026
  • Some disappointed fans lingered near the barricades and boundaries police had set up and were enforcing.
    — Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC news, 4 July 2026
Definition of lingered
Verb
  • Since their relationship became public in 2023, the couple has squeezed romance into tour schedules, football obligations and rare breaks from two of the most demanding careers in entertainment and sports.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Minerals are not the only sector that have been squeezed as result of the fuel crunch stemming from the Iran war; regular consumers are seeing prices at the petrol pump and supermarkets rise as well.
    — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of squeezed
Verb
  • But Ecuador’s Gonzalo Plata stuck up his left foot, just in front of Neuer, and poked the ball into the net.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 27 June 2026
  • In the third round, Magomedov poked Pereira in the eye, forcing a roughly two-minute pause, and still no point came off.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Definition of poked
Verb
  • In the past, studios have plucked influencers from their online niche and slotted them into whatever mainstream production needed a face.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Every individual tea leaf grown at Wild Orchard is plucked by hand, totaling about 100 kilograms per day during peak harvest season.
    — Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of plucked
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.

Browse Nearby Words

diddle
diddled
diddled (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Diddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddled. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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