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
  • Gutierrez allegedly dragged his girlfriend out of their home and into the street at gunpoint on Monday, where he was promptly arrested by his fellow officers.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Dalí’s body has not been dragged from the grave, but a version of him has been put to work, his likeness shaped and molded to fit the desires of another.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of dragged
Verb
  • But the idea that girls are being cheated is personal for some athletes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Miller—who is no stranger to extramarital tabloid scandals herself—has also mastered her getting-cheated-on performances.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheated
Verb
  • The twins still face state rape charges in Miami, and their trial has been delayed as prosecutors awaited the federal case sentencing in Manhattan.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The trip was going to be delayed and the team wouldn’t be home until the early morning hours.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of delayed
Verb
  • In Frankfurt, a gray city crumbling at the corners and still finding its footing after the war, though somehow doing its best to pretend all is well, Mann and Erika are greeted by the mayor and hustled off to a press conference.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The two firefighters, listening to their radios, hustled to the upstream bridge, prepared rope and watched the water.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of hustled
Verb
  • Moton lingered on the turf for a while, punching the turf in pain and dread, before a cart came out to transport him to the locker room.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
  • But the nearly three dozen residents who still live there say the town is still filled with those who lingered after their deaths.
    — Joy Benedict, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of lingered
Verb
  • Yet profits have still been squeezed as jet fuel prices surged roughly 90% since the US-Israeli war on Iran began in February, forcing several major carriers to cut earnings forecasts.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, free cash flow at another budget carrier, JetBlue Airways, remains severely squeezed by elevated jet fuel prices.
    — , CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeezed
Verb
  • Kessler, standing nearby during Williams’ postgame news conference, poked his head out from behind a black curtain and gave his teammate a thumbs-up.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Already poked, the league bear hasn’t exactly gone into hibernation, either.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of poked
Verb
  • The Royals plucked manager Matt Quatraro from the Rays organization in 2022.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Orioles plucked Jared Banner from the Cubs to be their new general manager under Mike Elias.
    — Josh Tolentino, Baltimore Sun, 22 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2026.

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