1
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
even though the hurricane was fast approaching, federal and local politicians wasted precious time diddling
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
an unscrupulous Broadway producer diddles little old ladies by persuading them to invest in a surefire flop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diddling
Verb
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Coach Mike McDaniel said Waller was injured before Wednesday’s practice, delaying his return after spending last season in retirement.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025 -
The experts also recommend keeping devices out of bedrooms at night, establishing screen-free meals and even considering delaying access until mid-adolescence.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Park Min-young played a timid wife seeking revenge on her cheating man in Marry My Husband.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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The basic logic of Article XIII is to promote fair play among the 30 teams and prevent teams from cheating.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gavras, working from a script he co-wrote with Pulitzer-finalist playwright Will Arbery, seems to be poking fun at the vacuous postures of the oligarch class, just as Ruben Östlund and many other filmmakers have in recent years.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
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New Bayern Munich signing Luis Díaz strolled down the left flank before cutting inside and poking a cross along the six-yard line.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Row the dumbbell up towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
8 Sep. 2025
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While startups occasionally push boundaries with optimization techniques—squeezing more efficiency out of existing silicon—barriers to entry are overwhelmingly high.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The centipede the Redditor found crawling in her bed.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
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My death was supposed to be crawling up inside of the locker that the cat used to go in.—
Matthew Jacobs,
Vulture,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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When not plucking away at a keyboard, Madison teaches yoga and mountain bikes with her two Australian shepherds, Cholla and Poppy, through Missoula's Rattlesnake Wilderness.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
29 Aug. 2025
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It’s haltingly played, like a child plucking out the notes, to emphasize John’s deep connection to his daughter.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Since the deal closed in 2015, Kraft Heinz shares had tumbled nearly 70% as of Friday's close, dragging the company's market value down to $33 billion.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
2 Sep. 2025
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Nvidia fell roughly 2%, dragging the market lower.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Four astronauts returned to Earth after hustling to the International Space Station five months ago to relieve the stuck test pilots of Boeing’s Starliner.—
Jeremy Mikula,
NBC news,
10 Aug. 2025
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Pope made sure to share the celebration again, jogging to find his wife and daughters behind the bench for a long embrace before hustling to a TV interview.—
Jesse Temple,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Diddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddling. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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