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
Relevance
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
An aftermath riddled with guilt and shame after Percy loses the love of her life, both stories on page and screen demonstrate how a single decision can reverberate across more than a decade, affecting someone’s self-perception and relationships.
—
Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026
His arms aren’t riddled with the muscle of his teammates.
—Sam Evan Sussman, Vogue, 10 June 2026
Her outfit was riddled with Easter eggs nodding to the iconic Disney-Pixar franchise, but one part of her look held extra special meaning.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
One of the more novel technical bets is the hydrogen storage system developed by Rux Energy UK, which uses nanoporous materials – materials riddled with microscopic pores that trap hydrogen molecules – to store the gas compactly and at low pressure.
—Omar Kardoudi
june 09, New Atlas, 9 June 2026
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
Wie West described that process as therapeutic and a welcome contrast to the final days of her playing career, which were riddled with injury.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 2 June 2026
After the simultaneous awarding of the Russian and Qatari World Cups, in 2010, a process that was riddled with vote-buying, FIFA updated its statutes to make sure that such a thing would never happen again.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026
His arms aren’t riddled with the muscle of his teammates.
—Sam Evan Sussman, Vogue, 10 June 2026
Her outfit was riddled with Easter eggs nodding to the iconic Disney-Pixar franchise, but one part of her look held extra special meaning.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
One of the more novel technical bets is the hydrogen storage system developed by Rux Energy UK, which uses nanoporous materials – materials riddled with microscopic pores that trap hydrogen molecules – to store the gas compactly and at low pressure.
—Omar Kardoudi
june 09, New Atlas, 9 June 2026
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
Wie West described that process as therapeutic and a welcome contrast to the final days of her playing career, which were riddled with injury.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 2 June 2026
After the simultaneous awarding of the Russian and Qatari World Cups, in 2010, a process that was riddled with vote-buying, FIFA updated its statutes to make sure that such a thing would never happen again.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddled
Verb
-
After Ryan McMahon ran for Goldschmidt, Rice drilled a 381-foot homer, his 19th.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Wright drilled playing off two feet, jump-stopping and pivoting.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The standout is a grand, otherworldly picture, devoid of human and animal life but suffused with strange light, and the majesty and menace of colossal ice in moving water.—
Susan Tallman,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
-
The experiment might sound sentimental, but Chakraborty, the production’s secret weapon, maintains a scientific restraint, albeit one suffused with maternal anguish.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Players like Charlie Sifford (first Black player to earn a PGA Tour card), Lee Elder (first Black player in the Masters) and Calvin Peete (12 wins on the PGA Tour) are on the short list of African-Americans who pierced golf's racial barrier.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
-
Once the water boils, add the florets and cook until the largest pieces can be easily pierced with a knife, 8 to 12 minutes.—
Carole Kotkin,
Miami Herald,
16 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
-
The bullet penetrated his hip, thrust through his knee and shattered his femur.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Federico Valverde's powerful 67th minute free kick from the left is punched away by Al-Owais.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
-
Chicago police are asking for help finding the man who punched a woman in the head at a CTA Pink Line stop last week in the North Lawndale neighborhood.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Soon, the war permeated the homes of millions of Americans — by television, radio and newspaper.—
Kyana Moghadam,
NPR,
9 June 2026
-
And while it’s tended to be soccer WAGs that have permeated pop culture, in recent years, partners and spouses of tennis stars and basketball players have garnered attention for their fashions.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The helium-balloon hype of potentially going undefeated through the final three rounds of the playoffs has been punctured and now it’s gone for good.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Deputies said that the stab wound, which punctured the woman's lung, did not appear to be life-threatening.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP Coni Dubois said several inches of water flooded her home overnight in Houma, southwest of New Orleans, but others in the community had worse damage.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
Reifel responds to Bethlehem, PA, mayor's comments When Reifel got his phone back, it was flooded with messages.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddled. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
