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
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of riddles
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
Neighbors put their own spin on the game, dressing up Frank in accessories, and posting riddles and clues to their local Facebook group to give hints on Frank's whereabouts.
—CBS News, 21 Dec. 2025
The answer to nature’s greatest riddles are written upon the Universe itself.
—Big Think, 1 Dec. 2025
Play the role of a detective and complete riddles, puzzles, and brain teasers to solve the mystery by Christmas Eve.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 16 Nov. 2025
In my experience, one viewing at the New York Film Festival was not enough to parse the film’s gorgeous riddles and meditation on cinema as a dream machine.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
His fans and followers enjoy solving the riddles through the screen, and the comments usually reflect the level of difficulty or ease of each game.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Steven R. Furlanetto, Twin Cities, 17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
Neighbors put their own spin on the game, dressing up Frank in accessories, and posting riddles and clues to their local Facebook group to give hints on Frank's whereabouts.
—CBS News, 21 Dec. 2025
The answer to nature’s greatest riddles are written upon the Universe itself.
—Big Think, 1 Dec. 2025
Play the role of a detective and complete riddles, puzzles, and brain teasers to solve the mystery by Christmas Eve.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 16 Nov. 2025
In my experience, one viewing at the New York Film Festival was not enough to parse the film’s gorgeous riddles and meditation on cinema as a dream machine.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
His fans and followers enjoy solving the riddles through the screen, and the comments usually reflect the level of difficulty or ease of each game.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
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
-
Out there, among the stars, galaxies, and beyond, lie solutions to the greatest mysteries of all.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Thousands of books and media items for children and adults will be available, including mysteries, biographies, large print, teen and children’s books.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Pitchers throw every day in season between competition days, bullpens, flat ground sessions and box drills off of an incline from 35 feet out.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Another Arsenal goal kick and Raya, after a customary bit of stud cleaning, drills the ball long.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To this day, kingship suffuses Iranian literature and mythology.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Fredericksburg, Texas Located in the Texas Hill Country with a population just shy of 12,000, Fredericksburg was founded in 1846 by German immigrants—and that heritage suffuses the town's food, architecture, and culture today.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
-
There are many puzzles that hint at this.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The penetration holes indicate that the internal facility is likely bombed out, destroying anything that was inside.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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How to Limit Attraction Sealing unwanted tiny cracks, gaps in doors or windows, or utility lines, and holes around the home is one of the best ways to prevent ants from gaining access in the first place.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To encourage deeper root growth, reduce the frequency of irrigation after seedlings emerge but increase the duration so that the water penetrates the upper four to six inches of soil.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Even a single missile that penetrates defenses and strikes infrastructure such as hospitals, power plants, or universities could impose high costs.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Speaking of enigmas, Katie Zelem plays for West Ham now on loan after less than five months with London City.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Yet despite their impressive size, encounters with these enigmas remain exceedingly rare due to the myriad of challenges of studying deep-sea sharks.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Its 1959 Googie-style sign pierces the sky, a beacon of hope for weary road-trippers cruising this achingly lonely stretch of highway.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Lower the heat to medium-high and cook, gently stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and a paring knife easily pierces a potato, about 15 minutes.—
C.W. Cameron,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddles. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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