1
as in pokes
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 plucks
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 diddles
Verb
-
Kym is the family fuckup and a guilty party to its biggest tragedy but also constantly pokes the bear as its selfish verbal assassin.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026 -
Instead, the robot simply pokes through it.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, who rocks an early era Maxwell ‘fro, plays drums, plucks bass, and sings about the ups and downs of love and consumerism on his new album, LK99.—
Elise Brisco,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2026
-
Tabakis lightly strums and plucks over a glowing drone and chattering birds, offering an ecumenical introduction, a smiling welcome.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Pitchfork,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
This focus lingers longer than usual as Mercury will retrograde here starting June 29, extending its stay in Cancer all the way through early August.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 May 2026
-
Then my gaze lingers on the sailors who are steering the boat, their white uniforms dazzling in the sunlight.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
War squeezes African, Asian economies further The fallout of the Iran war deepened globally as countries struggled to contain the impact of rising fuel and commodity prices.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
22 May 2026
-
So this market squeezes big flavors out of a shorter season and doesn't open until July.—
Jen Crystal,
Midwest Living,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Currie noted that as the conflict drags on, global oil inventories continue to decline.—
,
CNBC,
26 May 2026
-
Dissenters will shout louder as fight night inches closer, especially if the Iran war drags on and gas prices stay high.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Five average players committed to protecting the middle of the ice are more effective than four great ones and one who cheats for offence.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
-
The top-two primary system also cheats voters by pushing all candidates onto one primary ballot.—
John Seiler,
Oc Register,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At sunset, the city starts glowing around you while traffic crawls silently below.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
-
Critics on the Croisette are starting to resemble that classic comic-strip panel in which an explorer crawls desperately across the sand toward an oasis that’s only a mirage.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
In games like Tuesday, when that deep postseason run seems realistic, UCLA pops the ball around on offense and communicates and hustles to overcome its deficiencies on defense.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Compared to the behemoth Acela, which hustles hundreds of thousands of riders between Boston, New York City, and Washington DC each month, Amtrak's Mardi Gras line is downright petite—just two 58-seat coaches, plus a café car and a 14-seat Business Class car.—
Kara Newman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Diddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddles. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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