riddled

verb

past tense of riddle
1
as in drilled
to make a hole or series of holes in several signs along the highway were riddled by buckshot

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in suffused
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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of riddled Fashion’s nature risks and dependencies are wide-reaching, from cotton harvests ravaged by drought and leather supply chains riddled with deforestation, to manufacturing hubs struggling with water scarcity and retail networks affected by flooding. — Bella Webb, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026 The appellate court then lambasted their report as being riddled with flaws. — Justin Garcia, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026 The Warriors seem to have every season riddled with injuries. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 The neighborhood/area The Berkshires, Massachusetts is riddled with dozens of small towns, each with their own unique set of splendid restaurants, hotels, and attractions—and all within reasonable driving distance from one another. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026 This comes after fans noted the official release was riddled with bugs and performance glitches. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026 Those trends were backed up by the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book survey of business and economic conditions, which was riddled with red flags about higher fuel prices across the country. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 Unsurprisingly, public support for watching an incarcerated man be riddled with bullets on the internet was extremely low. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 15 Oct. 2026 Che shows me a white Yankees bomber jacket, riddled with Sharpied signatures from SNL’s 50th anniversary event last year. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddled
  1. drilled
  2. suffused
  3. pierced
  4. penetrated
  5. punched
  6. permeated
  7. punctured
  8. flooded
Verb
  • Brown drilled a corner 3 with one second remaining, forcing overtime at 117.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The bigger habit, though, is the one her mother drilled in long before SPF was mainstream.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of drilled
Verb
  • The bar serves up a lighter menu of small bites, like tempura black cod with ginger-sesame dipping sauce and succulent local halibut suffused with cilantro and basil.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Even after users log off, the material world is suffused with spirit.
    — Sam Kestenbaum, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of suffused
Verb
  • The bullet pierced the rear passenger window of Irvine’s car, striking him in the right shoulder and causing his death.
    — Kelsie Cairns , Maria Paronich, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Cook for 20 minutes, or until the squash falls apart when pierced with a fork.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of pierced
Verb
  • The Biden administration designated Tren de Aragua as a transnational criminal organization in 2024 following requests from Republicans who said the group’s members have penetrated the southern border.
    — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • My recent Hartford Courant oped, described how OpenAI agents broke out of their test sandbox and as a coordinated group (swarm) penetrated Hugging Face, a research platform used by AI developers.
    — John Caruso, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of penetrated
Verb
  • The Miz pumped his fist twice and punched the air walking off the mound.
    — Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The departure of Weil’s M&A chief, Michael Aiello, along with a team of partners, to Cravath last month punched a hole in the firm’s billings and rattled those left behind.
    — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of punched
Verb
  • Despite the uncharacteristically prompt arrivals, an unhurried air of European hospitality permeated the event, which was hosted by chairman Leonardo Ferragamo and creative director Maximilian Davis.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Taika Waititi’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel Klara and the Sun, starring Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams, was developed years before AI arrived in full force and the discussion about its potential permeated Hollywood.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of permeated
Verb
  • The sullen tribute to Payne settled the room into a cool near-silence, punctured by quiet gasps and muffled crying.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The hackneyed ruminations on feminine style are punctured by an image of violent female rage.
    — Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of punctured
Verb
  • Authorities were assessing who else needed help, including many whose homes weren't flooded but were cut off by floodwaters.
    — MEAD GRUVER, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • About 90% of the city was flooded ​following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, according to the White House.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of flooded

Browse Nearby Words

riddle
riddled
riddled (out)
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Cite this Entry

“Riddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddled. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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