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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Host Jimmy Kimmel milked the moment, delaying confirming that their answer was correct for a very tense minute.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
26 Sep. 2025 -
Boys may experience greater benefits from delaying their start date compared to girls, said Ioakim Boutakidis, professor of child and adolescent studies at Cal State Fullerton.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Emotionally cheating may hurt more than physically cheating.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
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The next global square date will take place on January 1, 2036, or 01/01/2036, which feels a bit like cheating since both versions yield 1012036 (1006 x 1006).—
Margherita Bassi,
Popular Science,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Wandering among the half naked nymphs and leering wolves and buff mermen poking their lovely wet heads out of glassy forest pools, their eyes dark with wanting to drag her down to oblivion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
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While some are panicking about the potential event, others are poking fun at the prediction.—
Cailey Gleeson,
jsonline.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While many traditional inner-thigh exercises focus solely on squeezing motions, more effective adductor training also incorporates movements in multiple planes and challenges the muscles to work as stabilizers rather than just prime movers.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
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The squeeze One way Californians cope with pricey housing is by squeezing more than the typical number of people into their living spaces.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At the time, officials concluded that a few mussels likely hitched a ride on a boat that had been in another infested area, most probably one of the Great Lakes in the Midwest, which are crawling with the critters.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
23 Sep. 2025
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Tyriq Withers plays a rising quarterback who, in one skin-crawling scene — spoiler alert!—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The first challenge is to create a visually appealing monkey bread, which many in America will recognize as a circular loaf composed of smaller balls that can be easily torn off, much like monkeys plucking nits from one another.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
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When not plucking away at a keyboard, Madison teaches yoga and mountain bikes with her two Australian shepherds, Cholla and Poppy, through Missoula's Rattlesnake Wilderness.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Department of Homeland Security has said Villegas González drove his car toward officers, dragging one before the agent opened fire.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
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Brussels is facing criticism over dragging its feet in the enforcement of its digital rulebook, especially its investigation into Elon Musk’s X platform.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead of hustling for one-day bookings, Patel engineered a system where one client often meant three to five events—maximizing return and loyalty.—
Sindhya Valloppillil,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Four astronauts returned to Earth after hustling to the International Space Station five months ago to relieve the stuck test pilots of Boeing’s Starliner.—
Jeremy Mikula,
NBC news,
10 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Diddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddling. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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