as in mysteries
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 drills
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 suffuses
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 riddles
Jamie Fischer,
Parents,
20 June 2026
The machine’s repertoire included answers to 12 riddles, passages from books, and laughing, crying and kissing sounds, as well as arias sung in both male and female voices—all feats that Edison’s phonograph would one day be able to accomplish by recording and playing back the human voice.
—
Ron Cowen,
Scientific American,
3 June 2026
The New Zealand singer-songwriter wanders around inside her psychedelic folk arrangements, singing in private riddles and changing the tone of her voice from one song (or even one verse) to the next, seemingly oblivious or indifferent to your presence.
—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
How imagination works, how influence unfolds, how history rhymes — these remain riddles.
—
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
For now, Anteotokounmpo, 31, remains coy, his words wrapped in riddles and his intentions couched in caveats, even as ESPN continues to report that a trade (somewhere) is viewed as inevitable and even as the two-time MVP insists that a trade is not his decision.
—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
LeetCode is a training platform for the kind of algorithmic riddles that usually crop up in interviews for big tech companies.
—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
All types of lanterns are lighted throughout the streets, and poems and riddles are often written for entertainment.
—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
The resulting footage was only discovered by the Cinémathèque in 2023; now edited together into a cohesive work, this invaluable and sui generis artifact finds one master filmmaker engaging with and taking in thewisdom, riddles, and pronouncements of another.
—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
20 Jan. 2026
Steven R. Furlanetto,
Twin Cities,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
This Father's Day, break out these silly (and slightly cringe-y) one-liners, puns, riddles, and jokes.
—
Jamie Fischer,
Parents,
20 June 2026
The machine’s repertoire included answers to 12 riddles, passages from books, and laughing, crying and kissing sounds, as well as arias sung in both male and female voices—all feats that Edison’s phonograph would one day be able to accomplish by recording and playing back the human voice.
—
Ron Cowen,
Scientific American,
3 June 2026
The New Zealand singer-songwriter wanders around inside her psychedelic folk arrangements, singing in private riddles and changing the tone of her voice from one song (or even one verse) to the next, seemingly oblivious or indifferent to your presence.
—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
How imagination works, how influence unfolds, how history rhymes — these remain riddles.
—
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
For now, Anteotokounmpo, 31, remains coy, his words wrapped in riddles and his intentions couched in caveats, even as ESPN continues to report that a trade (somewhere) is viewed as inevitable and even as the two-time MVP insists that a trade is not his decision.
—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
LeetCode is a training platform for the kind of algorithmic riddles that usually crop up in interviews for big tech companies.
—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
All types of lanterns are lighted throughout the streets, and poems and riddles are often written for entertainment.
—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
The resulting footage was only discovered by the Cinémathèque in 2023; now edited together into a cohesive work, this invaluable and sui generis artifact finds one master filmmaker engaging with and taking in thewisdom, riddles, and pronouncements of another.
—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
Any trip to the dark night skies of our Southern California deserts reveals a vista full of wonder and mystery — riddles that astrophysicists like myself spend our days unraveling.
—
Steven R. Furlanetto,
Twin Cities,
17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddles
Noun
-
Nonetheless, Simón stirs up the ineffable sadness that comes with wanting answers to the mysteries of your family — and then, like it or not, receiving them.
-
Many aspects of the physics underlying GRBs remain enigmatic—but Rubin’s potential for discovering entirely new types of transients could soon offer astronomers a wealth of additional cosmic mysteries to solve.
Verb
-
He is hyperfocused on details and drills home teaching points relentlessly.
-
The two countries conducted joint nuclear forces drills earlier this month.
Verb
-
But the latter’s crisply executed harmonies are but one of multiple examples of what splendid singing suffuses this production.
-
Announcing its hardcore aspirations with a moody steel-blue palette that suffuses the rural setting with dread, the film takes place almost entirely on a remote cow farm, the home of a mixed-race family of three.
Noun
-
Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
-
To test that, the final group completed cognitively demanding games such as mazes and shape puzzles called tangrams that contained no academic content.
Verb
-
Caulk holes around plumbing and sewer lines where roaches are likely to enter.
-
Space the planting holes 18 to 24 inches apart and space rows 3 to 6 feet apart.
Verb
-
Sunlight penetrates through the glass and bakes your interior.
-
Red light at a wavelength of roughly 620–700 nanometers penetrates superficially and targets collagen remodeling and inflammation.
Noun
-
In 2024, now grown and with her adoptive father’s approval, the young woman sets off with a wealthy merchant to piece together the historical enigmas surrounding the ancient Sumpa kingdom.
-
Bob Gray is one of the big enigmas in the book that are intentionally put there to create tension and are never solved.
Verb
-
And who the f--- pierces a 12 year old?
-
Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear.
Cite this Entry
“Riddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddles. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
