diddling

verb

present participle of diddle
1
as in delaying
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 cheating
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 diddling
  1. delaying
  2. cheating
  3. poking
  4. squeezing
  5. dragging
  6. plucking
  7. lingering
  8. hustling
Verb
  • In May, the agency proposed delaying emission standards set to kick in for new light- and medium-duty cars and trucks starting with model year 2027.
    — Bloomberg, Oc Register, 9 July 2026
  • But, for older men with no pain or discomfort, doctors may suggest watchful waiting, delaying surgery until the need is clear.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026
Definition of delaying
Verb
  • And using what looks like a giant pile of gerbil food for half-day cooking projects just feels like cheating.
    — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • The chapters moved from crime rates to cheating teachers to drug dealers living with their mothers, linking unlikely variables with a kind of intellectual mischief that felt almost illicit.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • Social media video showed snakes poking their heads above the muddy water inundating the village.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • Randomly poking at the menu can reveal some interesting finds.
    — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Definition of poking
Verb
  • The same rules reshaping the car are squeezing the independent aftermarket out of the picture.
    — Sarwant Singh, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Energy prices soared, squeezing Americans already frustrated by the high cost of living.
    — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • On Tuesday, the roller-coaster ride for AI stocks whipped back down, dragging Wall Street lower.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
  • With the process dragging on for months, the split of drama and comedy into separate departments, with Smith as head of the former, emerged as a likely scenario by mid-May.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 8 July 2026
Definition of dragging
Verb
  • As with the studio version, the track began with Lifeson plucking out a delicate intro on a nylon-string guitar before blasting into monster electric riffs.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2026
  • Vogue’s beauty shopping editor Kiana Murden became a devotee after plucking it from the beauty closet and using it religiously.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 10 June 2026
Definition of plucking
Verb
  • This season, our editors are savoring the activities that take us back to some of our favorite childhood days—jumping off docks, sliding down twisty pool slides, and lingering outside long into the evening.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
  • Any strange or lingering foot symptoms, though, could be a sign of a bigger health condition.
    — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 3 July 2026
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • Langford was injured during Friday’s game after hustling on a double.
    — Cal Phillips June 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2026
  • Letting go of the idea that success requires hustling at all costs — and replacing it with goals that feel attainable — can help founders shift toward a more sustainable approach, one where progress doesn't come at the cost of their well-being.
    — Holly Eve, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of hustling
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

diddlies
diddling
diddling (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Diddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddling. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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