DOODLE Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

doodle 1 of 2

verb

ˈdü-dᵊl

Definition of doodle

as in to play

to spend time in aimless activity I plan to spend the entire vacation just doodling

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

doodle

2 of 2

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of doodle

Verb

Art therapy isn’t just finger painting and doodling. — Hannah Silverman, Parents, 17 June 2026 They were inspired both by the 2023 California Superbloom and memories of doodling flowers while growing up in India. — Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 17 May 2026

Noun

Yankee doodle, whose the noodle? — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 Minutes later, an officer opened fire on a pet Saint Bernard doodle that was wearing a Knicks shirt. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for doodle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for doodle

Verb

Footwear also took a distinctly feminine direction this season, with embellishment playing a major role.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
This was apparent recently when a judge in Louisiana ruled that players who signed NFL contracts over the summer could return to play their fifth college season at LSU.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of play

Noun

Her work combines music, illustration, animation and fashion.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
But the Iran example – and particularly the ongoing episodic closures of the Strait of Hormuz – is one of the best illustrations today of how merely invoking credibility to act is not the same as having an overall endgame strategy.

— Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of illustration

Noun

The drawings were extraordinary, but the text — while unsurprisingly playful — was also tropey and wanting, and the wanting came in waves.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2026
That wasn’t the Mega Millions jackpot, now up to $385 million for Tuesday’s drawing.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of drawing

Noun

But Iñárritu’s caricatures become people in a way Kubrick’s don’t; as the bewildered President, for example, John Goodman is simultaneously grounded and theatrical in his presentation, recalling his best work with the Coen brothers.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
Instead of digging into the details of personality and circumstance — this school has a specific class for Shakespeare and also English teachers who are literature-hating caricatures?

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of caricature

Noun

These are perfect negatives of the original objects, sometimes so detailed that the outlines of wood cells are visible under a microscope.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026
As with the Loran diagram, Lichtenstein’s painting turns Madame Cézanne into a black outline, with letters and arrows diagramming her husband’s compositional choices.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of outline

Noun

The team’s coach, Mike Ditka, who died last week, was immortalized in a series of Saturday Night Live sketches.

— Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Canaletto expert Charles Beddington authenticated the drawing, which was likely a preparatory sketch for a painting last sold in 1995 for $354,000 (about $766,000 in today’s dollars).

— News Desk, Artforum, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of sketch

Noun

The work, known as the Tondo of the Two Brothers, dates back to the 2nd century and belongs to a group of paintings known as the Fayum portraits.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay chose Milton Rogovin’s informal, untitled portrait of a beautiful young Buffalo woman from his East Side, 1961-63 collection.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of portrait

Noun

For the new movie, ILM preserved their recognizable silhouettes while inventing more realistic anatomy, movement and fighting styles.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
But Snell was just as inspired by the fashion of the ‘90s and early ‘00s — which do feature a similar silhouette to Austen’s own era — and by the relationship families and friends have to clothes that are timeless.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of silhouette

Browse Nearby Words

doodads

doodle

doodled

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“Doodle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doodle. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of doodle

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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