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
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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
-
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
Verb
-
The calming silence is pierced only by a single birdsong.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Nov. 2025
-
The bullet that pierced the passenger side of the front windshield entered the right side of her neck, narrowly missing her spine.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
-
So, what began as outside advocacy has now penetrated the legislative process itself whereby trial lawyers are attempting to co-opt the bill for their own agenda.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
27 May 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
-
The plane overran the runway, punched through a perimeter fence and came to rest in an airport parking lot, where firefighters extricated the pilot.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
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
-
One wall was completely deconstructed, and the stench of cigarettes and space heaters permeated the air.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The Hubble Space Telescope was hit by space junk on multiple occasions, including a collision that punctured through its antenna dish.—
Maggie Koerth,
CNN Money,
8 Dec. 2025
-
One bullet that entered through his shoulder hit his left arm bone, while the other punctured his left lung before becoming lodged in his neck.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The idea of bringing Pip to the local dog park flooded me with terror.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The view from the window flooded See with memories from her childhood.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddled. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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