1
as in delayed
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 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
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Social Security benefits, for example, are considered mandatory by law and continue, although some services may be delayed if some workers are furloughed.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025 -
Democratic leaders countered that the subsidies are not a new demand but rather the continuation of a program that has helped keep record numbers of Americans insured since the pandemic – and therefore that the issue could not be delayed.—
Christopher Robertson,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When Swift acts in a way that is seemingly out of character, audiences feel cheated.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
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The scandal exposed how some wealthy families cheated and bribed to secure spots for their children at elite universities, sparking nationwide outrage over denied opportunities for more deserving students.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Because tiny holes are poked into the soil surface, more nutrients can reach greater soil depths.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
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In a 2019 post celebrating his third wedding anniversary with Miles, Minoso poked fun at his character’s romantic shortcomings.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And before the card shop owner from Lexington, Kentucky, could introduce himself to the NBA player, the 6-foot-7 LaRavia hustled over and beat him to it.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Agents grabbed one man who appeared to be charging up the driveway, pinned him to the ground and hustled him behind the gate with his hands behind his back.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Boston Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As the weeks dragged on, agencies including the IRS and State Department called more workers back to keep things running.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Oct. 2025
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One letter submitted late Wednesday was from Gina Huynh, the Combs ex-girlfriend who previously told gossip vlogger Tasha K that Combs shoved her to the ground and dragged her by her hair in 2018.—
Jodi Guglielmi,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sofia Coppola’s cult-favorite (if historically murky-at-best) 2006 film Marie Antoinette plucked the queen from history-book pages and pasted her on contemporary mood boards.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
2 Oct. 2025
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The kiss cam focused not on the attendees, but on couples plucked from Netflix’s various reality dating shows.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Those questions only lingered after their third October, the two losses in Minnesota.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Aries fire burns away the residue of fear and doubt that may have lingered after the Virgo solar eclipse.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meet Nashville's new crime-fighting Clydesdale Metro Nashville mounted patrol officer Michael Douglas squeezed a three-foot-long rubber chicken, producing an increasingly louder and closer screeching sound to try and provoke a 1,700-pound Clydesdale named Ross.—
Laura L. Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Oct. 2025
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While ultrafast and squeezed light pulses have been separately used for transmitting data, combining them enhances both speed and security.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Diddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddled. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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