RIDDLED Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

riddled

verb

past tense of riddle

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

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 These structures are riddled with microscopic pores that behave like molecular sponges, soaking up water vapor and releasing it again with minimal fuss. — New Atlas, 16 July 2026 McCullers made the 2017 All-Star team and finished seventh in Cy Young voting in 2021, but his career has been riddled with injury after being taken with the 41st pick of the 2012 draft. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 15 July 2026 What happened, Wells' parents say, is a mystery riddled with conflicting stories, implausible explanations and missing details. — ABC News, 11 July 2026 Aged 29, the fan favorite has recently been riddled by injuries. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 But local hoteliers say the proposal is riddled with problems, would unfairly impact hotels more than other businesses and might violate state law by applying flat fees to hotels instead of per-worker charges. — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026 Pool project has been plagued by problems The pool’s renovation has been riddled with problems. — Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026 While these platforms may dole out advice that sounds confident, researchers warned that it can be riddled with problems. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 8 July 2026 The song's music video, which was riddled with clever Easter eggs throughout, was released shortly after at the MTV VMAs. — Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddled

Verb

If that weren’t enough, after Toronto made a hoop, Salaun drilled another triple to clinch the win, putting her thumb and two fingers in the air on her way back down the court.

— Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Gauff drilled her footwork, working to optimize her explosive speed for a slippery surface on which hard stops and aggressive sprinting can often backfire.

— Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of drilled

Verb

Good binoculars will reveal a score of stars in this little group, while long-exposure observatory photographs show about 1000 in the area — all suffused in great clouds and streamers of nebulous light.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 10 July 2026
Lyrically, these 10 songs are suffused with a bittersweet feeling of nostalgia for early adulthood, as heard on the album’s title track.

— Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2026

Definition of suffused

Verb

In his first international meeting with England, Messi had a pair of assists on two late-match daggers that pierced through the hearts of Three Lions’ players and supporters.

— Gavin Godfrey, AJC.com, 16 July 2026
Finally, in 2024 in Chicago, in an accidental shooting, the same bullet pierced a 16-year-old boy and a policeman.

— Cal Chengqi Fang, The Conversation, 14 July 2026

Definition of pierced

Verb

While most of that warming occurs near the surface, measurements show heat has also penetrated to depths of roughly 3,000 meters over recent decades.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Ivory Coast has penetrated the box a bit more, but both sides have just one shot and zero on target.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026

Definition of penetrated

Verb

Video shows part of arrest in Meridian Ten seconds into the initial video, the officer sitting on the man punched him, according to the footage.

— Alex Brizee July 17, Idaho Statesman, 17 July 2026
Six minutes into the second half, Maradona challenged England goalkeeper Peter Shilton for a loose ball and punched it into the net with his left hand.

— Larry Holder, New York Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of punched

Verb

Agents test the packages, but the sheriff’s office said the one found Wednesday was punctured and tainted by saltwater.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026
But even in the midst of those surges, the visible dissent of people such as Renee Good and Alex Pretti punctured that fantasy.

— Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

Definition of punctured

Verb

On Thursday morning, a massive sinkhole opened up on a West Hollywood sidewalk near Sunset Boulevard after the streets became flooded.

— Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 17 July 2026
After the comments section was flooded with messages from Instagram users criticizing the timing of the post, Kim added an additional comment with an explanation.

— Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026

Definition of flooded

Browse Nearby Words

riddle

riddled

riddled (out)

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Style

“Riddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddled. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of riddled

verb

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