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
Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
Is this a riddle assayed by a fairy-tale creature?
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
Dee Depass, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026
Santos, whose political rise and fall was characterized by a notorious trail of lies and falsehoods, claimed my story was riddled with errors.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for riddle
Noun
Scientists may have finally solved the riddle of Tyrannosaurus rex’s small arms, which have always stood out as the oddest feature in the mightiest of dinosaurs, prompting jokes and a century-plus debate on their purpose and evolutionary history.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
Is this a riddle assayed by a fairy-tale creature?
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
Verb
And with the rollout of artificial intelligence at workplaces threatening to displace white-collar jobs, workers are riddled with fear about their futures.
—Dee Depass, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026
Santos, whose political rise and fall was characterized by a notorious trail of lies and falsehoods, claimed my story was riddled with errors.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for riddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddle
Noun
-
In addition to her work on BBC Radio 1, King co-hosts the podcast Novel Idea with Matt Edmondson, where the pair collaborate on writing a mystery novel, with each episode serving as a new chapter.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
-
For new discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines, follow NPR’s Short Wave podcast.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Khoukhi, a 35-year-old who has been in the Qatari national team program since 2013, scored the historic goal by drilling the header while leaping over a Swiss defender.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
-
Haji says their mine avoids these issues by drilling above the water level.—
Ari Sen,
Scientific American,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The knife perforated the bone at the center of his chest, the sac that surrounds his heart, and penetrated the right ventricle of his heart.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2026
-
If the plant was root bound in its pot, consider pulling it out of the ground, loosening up the roots so water can penetrate, and replanting it.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Last year was a communication puzzle to solve.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
Perhaps not enough people know where to catch the MGM+ original, because the satisfying puzzle box series, developed by John Griffin, has remained steady and exciting during its run, consistent when other mysterious shows might have run out of gas or jumped the shark.—
William Earl,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The Remarkable Life and Times of George Forster A gunshot pierced the calm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Telefone, the piercing 2016 breakout debut from Noname, turns ten this year, and the Chicago rapper is celebrating it with a late-summer anniversary trek.—
Alex Suskind,
Pitchfork,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
As the first show without late drummer/lyricist Neil Peart since 1974, the kick-off was suffused with nearly overwhelming emotion, both onstage and off.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
10 June 2026
-
That essay, written in 1940 — the same year Native Son was published — is suffused with profound hopelessness for what was indeed to come.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Even at the height of his fame, there were dubious aspects of his personal life — often self-seeded to sustain his enigma — that poked hellified holes in his impermeability as an entertainer.—
Rodney Carmichael,
NPR,
3 June 2026
-
Despite the city and Heal the Bay forming a Santa Monica Pier Task Force, adding netting to deter birds, and taking other measures to improve the water quality, the root of the problem remains an enigma.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Among those arrested was a woman who allegedly punched a police officer.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
9 June 2026
-
In extreme cases, like intentionally punching another player, a referee can go straight to a red card and eject a player from the match.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddle. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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