as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
his motives for starting an argument with the coach were a complete riddle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in
several signs along the highway were riddled by buckshot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to penetrate
to spread throughout
the newspaper exposé revealed a gaming commission that is riddled with corruption
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of riddle
Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
His fans and followers enjoy solving the riddles through the screen, and the comments usually reflect the level of difficulty or ease of each game.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Injuries have riddled Diggs over the last few years.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riddle
Noun
The answer to the riddle is that there is no riddle.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
His fans and followers enjoy solving the riddles through the screen, and the comments usually reflect the level of difficulty or ease of each game.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
Bars and restaurants were already riddled with screens before everyone at the table also clutched one in their hand.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Injuries have riddled Diggs over the last few years.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddle
Noun
-
In the leadup to its debut, the Apple TV/Sony Pictures Television show has been shrouded in secrecy — a decision that lends itself supremely well to a mystery-box sci-fi thriller that is equal parts philosophical conundrum and blood-chilling horror.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
-
When the day of the follow-up scan finally arrived, the mystery was solved—not triplets, but twins.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Kicker Kyson Scott drilled it, giving Lake Ridge a 38-20 lead at halftime.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Rustin drilled Selva one last time on complex equations and imperial history.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Related diseases come from isotopes in the nuclear fallout that can penetrate the human body and cause mutations in DNA, according to a 2024 paper from the American Society of Clinical Oncology Journal.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
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This play can penetrate the walls of people's homes and their personal experiences in such intimate ways.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
How long much of the 10,000-km (6,000-mile) journey is undertaken by the freeloading fish, which only live for about two years, is still a puzzle, Meynecke said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For Edelberto’s brother, Amilcar Hernandez, the death has been piercing and painful.—
Kevin G. Hall,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In September, Manow posted a photo of her bloodied face and said Clateman knocked out her dermal piercing during a fight.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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One of the great pleasures of anime is that its unabashed, rollicky genre pieces are often suffused with grand, but not grandiose, sociopolitical commentary — a heady combination that many similar pictures can’t pull off.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Smith suffuses the book with a kind of clinical detachment, even as the dread mounts with each page.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Further enigmas can be found elsewhere on public lands, including within state parks, recreational areas, and more.—
Mike Bezemek,
Outside,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Soho House has always existed as something of an enigma to me.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Japan has punched above its weight on the global cultural stage for generations, but Hollywood studios have long regarded the country as one of the world’s most challenging places to shoot.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Vote of confidence Heweliusz represents a huge vote of confidence from Netflix in CEE as the streamer celebrates its decade in a region that punches above its weight and has a bustling local entertainment sector.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddle. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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