DIDDLING Synonyms: 159 Similar and Opposite Words

diddling

verb

present participle of diddle

as in delaying

to move or act slowly even though the hurricane was fast approaching, federal and local politicians wasted precious time diddling

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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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for diddling

Verb

Rural leaders will probably follow the urban practice of ensuring community input – as required by Congress – before allowing tax-delaying investments by wealthy financial backers.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026
In a 2022 One Earth study of more than 47,000 people across 68 countries, researcher Kelton Minor and colleagues found that warmer nighttime temperatures shorten sleep, mostly by delaying when people fall asleep.

— Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of delaying

Verb

Written and rendered by dudes who longed for unlimited success, these are songs about cheating and being cheated on and trying but failing to be content, or love as lived amid capitalist indulgence.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
In this case, the reward was solving the ExploitGym questions and the hacking was literally hacking—cheating on the test and then hacking into Hugging Face in an effort to cover up the cheating (more on that below).

— Emily Forlini, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of cheating

Verb

Traditionally, there’s this rendering of hell as a dark cave with fire, and there’s the devil with a pitchfork poking everybody with it.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
With the help of Nollet, Anderson’s hair was blown and teased away from her forehead, with tinges of pink poking through.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of poking

Verb

The story went viral, Rust recalls, dragging local, state and, ultimately, federal officials into a Keystone Kops-like battle of wills.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
During the transformation the gases escape, dragging dust and ice particles off the surface with them.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of dragging

Verb

Weiss has been reworking CBS News’ broadcast lineup, plucking Tony Dokoupil from the program for the Evening News slot, and most recently overhauling 60 Minutes under new executive producer Nick Bilton.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
The streamer has found its leading lady for the biopic, plucking an unknown first-timer to play the sertanejo icon.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of plucking

Verb

Still, there was a cloud of public doubt lingering over the event.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
For evening observers, this apparition has been more frustrating than triumphant, with Venus lingering low in the glow of twilight instead of climbing into a commanding position.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of lingering

Verb

Besides Instagram hustling and scouring job boards, entrepreneurial editors find gigs when creators call out for help.

— Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
Devers, who finished with three hits, eschewed his power for small ball in the fifth, laying down a surprise bunt for a single, then hustling home on Susac’s sacrifice fly.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 July 2026

Definition of hustling

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“Diddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddling. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of diddling

verb

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