1
as in drilling
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 penetrating
to spread throughout
the newspaper exposé revealed a gaming commission that is riddled with corruption
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddling
Verb
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Dëmin finally stopped the bleeding out of the huddle, drilling a left-corner 3 to give Brooklyn a pulse, but the climb was steep from there.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026 -
Energy experts say this trend shows how sharply the US and China are diverging on the energy transition, with China sprinting far ahead on renewables and EVs, while the US doubles down on drilling oil at home and abroad.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His company, Echo, sidesteps the problem, using not a chip with probes, but a thin film that sits on the brain without penetrating it.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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Ask penetrating questions, examine key assumptions, search for pivotal turning points, and consider multicausal explanations of events and developments.—
John T. Shaw,
Twin Cities,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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When the sun goes down, three beams of light will illuminate the sky over the town that was, piercing the darkness that this time last year was lit with the unholy glow of a fire raging, with no end in sight.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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In addition to a new piercing placement, North also wore one of her new Christmas presents, a 106-carat diamond skull pendant that was gifted by mom Kardashian, 45.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The University of Miami defeated Ole Miss, 31-27, in a Fiesta Bowl semifinal thriller, punching its ticket to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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That footage showed Jones elbowing, stomping and punching the boy, and prompted the police investigation.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The past two months of mostly sideways churn within 3% of record highs for the S & P 500 has helped to rebalance the market, puncturing the aggressive sense of destiny around many AI plays, subduing some speculative misbehavior and allowing valuations to settle.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
20 Dec. 2025
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Pinjar thus starts out with Hamida’s disgust, puncturing notions of maternal affection revered in mainstream South Asian (and other) narratives.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tonight, after poking the bear, this bear roared.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Nov. 2025
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There are also dual Akrapvoic exhausts poking out the rear, framed by slim taillights.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
7 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Riddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddling. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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