as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
a grandmother who routinely pooh-poohed the advice of the so-called experts in child care as so much fiddle-faddle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 fiddle-faddle
For more: read Kang’s full dispatch on the series’ fiddle-faddle.
—
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
Maybe this premise sounds like pseudo-philosophical fiddle-faddle.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
Maybe this premise sounds like pseudo-philosophical fiddle-faddle.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiddle-faddle
Noun
-
But anatomically speaking, this is absolute nonsense.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Travelers say they're done listening to the nonsense they've been fed.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Secure garbage and recycling bags.—
Barbara Bellesi Zito,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
-
Investigators said nearly 6,500 pets were promised a proper burial by Vereb, but instead their bodies were dumped in landfills or left in leaking garbage bags.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
But for people who consume fewer calories, like Matthews’s mother, those calories and the protein in them are better off coming from whole foods—such as chicken, beans, nuts and vegetables.—
Bethany Brookshire,
Scientific American,
11 May 2026
-
Pistachio nuts are also a favorite go-to snack.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Trash pickup Chris Barnett, Orion Township supervisor, said residents of his community will be allowed to place more bagged trash outside at their next Waste Management pickup day to help handle overflow rubbish from paper plates, etc.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
From the Japanese point of view, leaving rubbish piled up in a stadium would be a bother to others.—
Stephen Wade,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Commentors, of course, had a mixed bag of reactions, ranging from arguing that Kelce is the Duchess of Delco to criticizing the governor's silliness.—
Kaitlyn McCormick,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Yet there’s wisdom amid the silliness, as the story gently makes a case for the necessity of grief, mindfulness and mortal awareness, even in a life otherwise unburdened by adult human responsibility.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That men like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are entrusted with businesses of tectonic influence can be difficult to understand, but their cults of personality have been able to survive scrutiny, perhaps because the money itself is too imposing a firewall for their own stupidity to penetrate.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Eric Swalwell, a prominent Democratic House member and a front-runner in the race for California governor, had his political career blown up by allegations of degeneracy and abject stupidity.—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The American League West is a Buc-ees-sized truck stop of blah, and an 81-win team could win it.—
Mac Engel
April 30,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Turn a blah brunch into a party with our famous Party Potatoes.—
Krissy Tiglias,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His jowls had dragged ropes of drool.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The evidence is irrefutable — a pile of drool atop a drenched spot on your pillow.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fiddle-faddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiddle-faddle. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
