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
Relevance
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
Verb
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The union is calling for an inflationary increase to wages effective July 1, while Cassellius has proposed delaying inflationary raises until January to save money.—
Rory Linnane,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026 -
The inspector general accused the department of blocking long-standing access to internal DHS databases used for oversight work, restricting data related to border enforcement and TSA programs, and delaying access to classified intelligence systems.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Billionaire Ronald Burkle is suing political power-broker Darius Anderson, accusing his former protégé and friend of cheating him out of millions of dollars.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
An Arsenal throw-in on their right-hand side, in the 14th minute, prompts chants of ‘Same old Arsenal, always cheating’ as the clock ticks away.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Weeks later, the congresswoman could still the fractured bones in his forearm poking up under the skin.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The prosecutor said Tran tried to take his own life by slitting a wrist, cutting his neck and poking a blade into his stomach.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Other business leaders have trialed, but then dialed back, four-day work week experiments after seeing the strain of squeezing five days of work into four.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
3 Mar. 2026
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The business has been brutal for the last couple of years — the pandemic, the strikes, the profit squeezing that led to a bunch of reduced production.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His legs felt like anchors dragging across the court.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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The war dragging on could also see markets whip back and oil costs continue to soar, especially as the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly 20% of the world's oil remains largely impassible.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Archive footage viewed on old VHS tapes and Super-8 film reveals that Cook was a talented and charismatic musician, plucking away at his Gibson while singing blues standards or original material.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Broten remembers Pavelich plucking his guitar and singing Neil Young songs on bus rides.—
Stephen Whyno,
Twin Cities,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This is a day for speaking plainly and clearing up lingering misunderstandings.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
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Overall, industry grosses were up 8 percent from the prior week, as productions shook off lingering effects from the snowstorm and show cancellations.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those were full-time pharmacists, realtors and teachers hustling across Olympic ice for Team USA.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
27 Feb. 2026
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How does Mick Cronin survive this, sending his own player off the court after hustling hard on defense to get a piece of the ball but unfortunately too much contact and drew a foul.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Diddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddling. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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