1
as in to fidget
to make jerky or restless movements
the executive fiddled with a pen as she impatiently waited for the meeting to begin
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
conscienceless grifters who had spent their lives fiddling the naive
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in nuts
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
oh, fiddle! I've heard that excuse a thousand times before
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in scam
chiefly British
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
the e-mail was another one of those fiddles from some supposed millionaire seeking to transfer funds out of his country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fiddle
Editorial, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
But in private, Arthur advises her to exercise a little more discretion in her, um, fiddling.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 22 May 2026
Fortunately, North Carolina’s Avetts aced the assignment with a soul-gripping version of George Harrison’s melodically rich proclamation of hope, this time inflected with fiddle and banjo.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fiddle
Verb
Meanwhile, Congress fiddles while structural defects in Medicare and Social Security threaten to engulf the programs.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
But in private, Arthur advises her to exercise a little more discretion in her, um, fiddling.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
Scratching high on the bridge, Werner’s splintering fiddle calls to mind the slow, magical hatching of an egg.
—Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 22 May 2026
Fortunately, North Carolina’s Avetts aced the assignment with a soul-gripping version of George Harrison’s melodically rich proclamation of hope, this time inflected with fiddle and banjo.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fiddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiddle
Verb
-
Rafa starts to fidget around noon before mama is supposed to meet us for her lunch break.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Pekara said hospital surveillance footage captured him fidgeting under the blanket.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With no one coming to save him, Santi learned to save himself — cheating cards, running schemes, talking his way into and out of everything.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
-
People are robbed, assaulted and cheated.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The key is building meals around high-fiber foods like beans, lentils, whole grains, berries, seeds, vegetables and nuts.—
Ryan Brennan
June 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2026
-
The company's specialty nuts -- cashews, confections and snack mixes -- follow the same quality standards as its world famous Virginia Peanuts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The whole story is wild to read, and proof that scams, both online and on your phone, are big business and can make big money.—
Alan Henry,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
-
Scammers can create an AI replica of someone’s voice using a short recording of their speech — often pulled from social media or an earlier scam call that was surreptitiously recorded.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Padres starter Griffin Canning tossed five innings against his former team.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
-
The fan encouraged the outfielder to toss a ball up to the youngster sitting next to him.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Attendees seemed keen to squeeze as much networking as possible out of the gala, often chatting with their associates and neighbors during speakers’ remarks.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
-
Fuel supplies squeezed Russian emergency services acknowledged Saturday that a fire had broken out at the oil depot in Krasnodar.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
That’s the prayerful explanation for the nonsense that spouted this week from the leaders of a football conference that hopes to grow up and be the Big Ten someday.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
Let’s see if the Pomona Unified School District, which pays thousands of dollars to support its schools’ athletic program, is going to act and stop this nonsense.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The Hormuz crisis will not end when oil markets stop twitching.—
John W.H. Denton AO,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
-
The Buena Vista Social Club features feet-twitching music and Wolf says that, obviously, people want to get up and dance but that’s just not allowed.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fiddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiddle. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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