DIDDLED Synonyms: 163 Similar and Opposite Words

diddled

verb

past tense of diddle

as in dragged

to move or act slowly even though the hurricane was fast approaching, federal and local politicians wasted precious time diddling

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Verb

Scardovari, Italy — As the sun was rising, two fisherwomen dragged their boat through the Scardovari lagoon in northeastern Italy.

— Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
The animation is often rudimentary, particularly in outer-space scenes that are effectively a cut-out of a starship being dragged across a stellar background.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of dragged

Verb

In 2014, Russia was proven to have cheated in the Sochi Olympic Games.

— Katie Uhlaender OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
Although receipt of the letter does not indicate that someone definitively cheated, an unspecified number of cases have been referred to district attorneys for prosecution, the spokesperson said.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of cheated

Verb

Eckert was interviewed again earlier this month after the process was initially delayed, with Southampton’s head coach back in Germany and recently becoming a father.

— Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Gen Alphas seem to know almost immediately when something is fake, overproduced, delayed or culturally disconnected, which is why the strongest content right now often feels chaotic.

— Kelly Samuel, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of delayed

Verb

With one hour to collect their gear and pack the school bus taking them to Miami Gardens, the kids hustled to get ready to make their World Cup debut.

— Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
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

Definition of hustled

Verb

Events ranging from a baby parade in Flint, Michigan, to a rock concert in Herndon, Virginia, and the America’s Mile marathon in Pittsburgh were canceled Friday as smoke lingered.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
But concerns have lingered, especially after major wins on contracts involving US government policy or actions.

— Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026

Definition of lingered

Verb

Tournament football isn’t generally conducive to pressing, with so many matches squeezed into such a short window, and without the cohesion that comes from club sides training together for months.

— Michael Cox, New York Times, 22 July 2026
My problem is the kart path along the road has 3 or so feet of grass between it and the road, then suddenly the grass narrows and is eventually gone before going over the bridge and everything is squeezed together.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of squeezed

Verb

It’s now understood that Russia in 2016 poked the election systems in all 50 states to check what protections were in place and accessed—but did not change—some very local registration rosters in Florida and Illinois.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 17 July 2026
The teen said Jones poked his head through the doorway, then returned to the room and continued firing before leaving the apartment.

— Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026

Definition of poked

Verb

And their semi-final victory over England was plucked from another incredibly precarious position.

— Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026
In the center of the patio stands what looks like a jumbotron plucked from an arena nearby and set it down on a platform, with all four sides showing that day's game.

— Becky Sullivan, NPR, 19 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.

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diddle

diddled

diddled (with)

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“Diddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddled. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of diddled

verb

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