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
Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
Strange statues and cryptic riddles in Italian or Latin appear around every corner, making each visit feel like a discovery that the whole family can enjoy.
—Fulvio De Bonis, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
And when investigators received a bizarre phone call about Cliff’s property being sold, a 10-year saga riddled with conspiracy, cons, and lies began.
—Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riddle
Noun
Although specific customs vary regionally across the Chinese-speaking world, the most prevalent activities involve lighting lanterns, guessing riddles, eating tangyuan (glutinous rice balls with fillings like sweet red beans or black sesame paste), and watching traditional lion dance performances.
—Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
Strange statues and cryptic riddles in Italian or Latin appear around every corner, making each visit feel like a discovery that the whole family can enjoy.
—Fulvio De Bonis, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
Injuries have riddled Diggs over the last few years.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
And when investigators received a bizarre phone call about Cliff’s property being sold, a 10-year saga riddled with conspiracy, cons, and lies began.
—Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddle
Noun
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Martin, 38, created, co-wrote and stars in Wayward, a Netflix mystery series that follows a local police officer's investigation into a local school for troubled teens in an isolated small town.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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The mystery donor who offered $130 million to pay troops during the government shutdown is Timothy Mellon, sources told The New York Times on Saturday.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rustin drilled Selva one last time on complex equations and imperial history.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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Leadership in energy will thus shift, from those who drill and deliver to those who build and store.—
John Kerry,
semafor.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
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Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Produced before the gag order was lifted, the four-part docuseries One Night in Idaho turns its focus to the families, friends and community members still wrestling with the aftermath, offering a piercing look at a case with many unanswered questions.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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The grotesque details—the uncle’s fingernails piercing his hands, the dog’s permanent terror of rabbits—are simply there.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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His music, stuffed with live instrumentation and harmonic sophistication, is suffused with the sound and spirit of Sly Stone, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix and Marvin Gaye, among many others.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Further enigmas can be found elsewhere on public lands, including within state parks, recreational areas, and more.—
Mike Bezemek,
Outside,
29 Oct. 2025
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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
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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 9 Nov. 2025.
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