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
  • The winter chill that dragged digital assets down during most of the hot summer months is finally beginning to lift, with the price of Bitcoin surging about 20 percent last week, its strongest three-day rally since 2023.
    — Peter Mintzberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In 2024, Burke’s squad dragged itself off the mat after an awful (yet at the time, typical) start to the season to go unbeaten in 12 of 13 matches down the stretch and narrowly miss the playoffs.
    — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of dragged
Verb
  • The rest of us just got the surface, but who could feel cheated?
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Child safety advocates and some parents have welcomed age restrictions, while privacy groups say the rules can be cheated and that forcing users to supply identification raises privacy concerns.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheated
Verb
  • That level of demand for the robot has quickly delayed delivery times for new orders past the initial promise of Christmas 2026.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Good enough on time beats perfect production delayed every time.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of delayed
Verb
  • Officers hustled the residents, including the children, out of the home, while Walsh and the second officer found the suspect hiding in a bathroom.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Two of the men quickly hopped up and hustled down the sidewalk, while the third sat for a second before replacing the manhole cover, and walked away, the video shows.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of hustled
Verb
  • Tagovailoa on return, boos Falcons and former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was greeted with boos during Friday’s preseason game, lingered on the field afterward to embrace several former teammates and Dolphins staffers.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Young wound up going 8–5 as a starter and won Offensive Rookie of the Year, but tensions lingered.
    — Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of lingered
Verb
  • America’s aging farmers have been holding on to machinery for longer than usual as low crop prices and rising costs squeezed their finances.
    — Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Officials said the bears appeared to have squeezed through a 1-foot-wide opening in the concrete structure (likely seeking water during hot, humid weather) and then couldn’t get back out.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeezed
Verb
  • Better together Industry analysts, experts and insiders have consistently poked holes in the states' argument that the combination of TV networks would create antitrust issues.
    — Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
  • So too were the buildings, including my hotel, which poked through the seven-foot-high snowbanks, looking like an ancient shipwreck covered in shifting sand.
    — Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of poked
Verb
  • But for guests seeking deeper immersion in nature, the wildflower garden with more than 200 plant species looks like it was plucked straight from a fairy tale.
    — Brian Cicioni, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Muir swivel chair in oxblood velvet feels plucked out of a Hollywood Regency–style boutique hotel lobby.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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