1
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
2
as in suffused
to spread throughout
the newspaper exposé revealed a gaming commission that is riddled with corruption
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of riddled
The windshield of a bus on the scene was riddled with bullet holes, and people’s belongings were scattered in the area.
—
Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 8 Sep. 2025
It may be riddled with mistakes.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
By comparison, the edge is still the Wild West, riddled with vulnerabilities that you should be concerned about.
—Srinivas Shekar, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The season is riddled with loose threads that tease more creepy, kooky adventures to come.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
Especially considering such variables as pass protection and an either diminished or injury-riddled receiving corps the last two years.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
David McNew/Getty Images Dessler is just one of many leading climate scientists who voiced concerns about the DOE report, saying it is riddled with errors, shows signs of bias and misrepresents some research findings in order to downplay the threats from climate change.
—Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Large groups were indiscriminately huddled together and riddled with machine gun fire.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
The Seahawks’ path to success is winning with defense, led by star defensive tackle Leonard Williams, but the offense is riddled with question marks—and some real upside thanks to Darnold, Kupp, running back Kenneth Walker and wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 8 Sep. 2025
It may be riddled with mistakes.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
By comparison, the edge is still the Wild West, riddled with vulnerabilities that you should be concerned about.
—Srinivas Shekar, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The season is riddled with loose threads that tease more creepy, kooky adventures to come.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
Especially considering such variables as pass protection and an either diminished or injury-riddled receiving corps the last two years.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
David McNew/Getty Images Dessler is just one of many leading climate scientists who voiced concerns about the DOE report, saying it is riddled with errors, shows signs of bias and misrepresents some research findings in order to downplay the threats from climate change.
—Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Large groups were indiscriminately huddled together and riddled with machine gun fire.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
The Seahawks’ path to success is winning with defense, led by star defensive tackle Leonard Williams, but the offense is riddled with question marks—and some real upside thanks to Darnold, Kupp, running back Kenneth Walker and wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddled
Verb
-
My parents drilled this into me.—
Kendra MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Jake Cronenworth drilled a comebacker off Brown’s leg for an RBI single.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His narration is a constant pleasure — mournful, wry, and suffused with a world-weary poetry.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The fatal knife wound pierced Martin's sternum before going into his heart.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Hospitals overflowing with patients ripped by shrapnel and pierced by bullets.—
Brendan Rascius,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Later on, water may have penetrated through cracks in the rock, depositing minerals to create the calcium sulfate veins and leopard spots.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Hamas had brutally penetrated our southern border, embarking on the slaughter of civilians.—
Ron Scherf,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After McNeil refused to get out of his car, Bowers smashed the driver’s side window, punched McNeil in the head and pulled him out of the SUV.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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The man, later identified as 39-year-old Ismael Hernandez-Padilla, pulled the woman into an empty lot, thenstrangled and punched her, police said.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The New York Fed noted that AI has still not permeated through the majority of companies in its survey.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The score, composed by a team led by Gerard K Marino, was cinematic in a way that replicated historical epics like Gladiator that permeated cinema at the time.—
Joshua Lamb,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That moment punctured the membrane between past and present for me.—
Michael Jerome Plunkett
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The squirrel’s back was punctured through the skin, but the talon marks were not deep enough to have been fatal.—
Charles Elliott,
Outdoor Life,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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More than $18 billion has flooded into more than 200 biotechnology companies touting AI to expedite development, with 75 drugs or vaccines entering clinical trials, according to Boston Consulting Group.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
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Friends and fans alike flooded the actor’s comment section with birthday wishes.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddled. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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