as in fiddling (around)
to spend time in aimless activity
I spent all weekend at home just puttering around
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puttering (around)
Verb
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Its return is part of the 2026 Banana Ball World Tour and the launch of the Banana Ball Championship League, with all six league teams playing a 60-game schedule culminating in the Banana Bowl Championship next October.—
Shane Connuck
October 9,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Oct. 2025 -
After close to two decades had been spent playing professional football, mainly in the EFL, there was no clarity on what would come next when retirement came to his door.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Around March, during a session with Allen and Slatkin, Maddell started messing around with chords to pair with an acoustic that Slatkin had at the ready.—
Josh Glicksman,
Billboard,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The student was found hanging about 50 feet up in a tree with the open chute, Metro Nashville Police Department said on X Saturday.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Puttering (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puttering%20%28around%29. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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