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
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Later in the episode, Kelce's cohost and brother, Jason Kelce, pokes fun at Lively's athleticism in a storyline that sees Bridget attend a soccer camp.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025 -
The trailer for Season 6 of Solar Opposites, released today, pokes fun of the show’s imminent end.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The dog jumps up and plucks the burger from her—a move that left viewers stunned and amused by the canine's flawless execution.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
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There may be even greater reasons to put an ad that plucks the heartstrings in front of a broader crowd.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Strong, prolonged damaging wind gusts of 40 to 55 mph will continue to lash the coast as the storm crawls north through Monday.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
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Chalamet crawls out of the weird-for-the-sake-of-being-weird chamber and chucks the helmet to the ground, displaying his now shaven head.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And now, one such creation slithers, squeezes, and twists through the narrowest corners.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
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The surgeon withdraws the balloon and then squeezes the implant in through a sterile funnel before closing the incision.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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These early shifts—less COVID vaccination; fewer options for flu, MMR, and chickenpox vaccines; and, perhaps soon, delays to the hepatitis-B schedule—may seem benign enough.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
18 Sep. 2025
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Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.—
Jeremy Tanner,
The Hill,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The 20-second clip, apparently captured by a doorbell camera, shows the woman screaming for help as a man drags her away from near the front door of a residence.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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As the federal government shut-down drags on, so does the misery for passengers flying in to or out of Charlotte’s airport — flight delays here are approaching 2,000 since last week.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Linda hustles the two of them to a nearby motel whose only employees are a surly young goth attendant (a glowering Ivy Wolk) and a sympathetic, mildly flirty super (A$AP Rocky, laidback and breezy).—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
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For somebody who’d allegedly prefer a life of leisure, Phoebe Robinson sure hustles.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But living through that moment, in that city, at that time of my life, left a mark and the ethos of it all still lingers.—
Kate Belli,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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The camera lingers over the $20 bill Maggie has left, and the film cuts to black.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Diddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddles. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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