1
as in pokes
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 plucks
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 diddles
Verb
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The script lightly pokes fun at the lofty ambitions of theater-makers who aim to change lives through their art, while ultimately affirming the power of theater to lift people’s spirits.—
Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
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The clip also pokes fun at Roach's retirement announcement in 2023, only to return to the industry two years later.— Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carrera now plucks the melody in single notes.— Peter Wayne Moe, Longreads, 26 Mar. 2026
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But if Rick later plucks something from behind that rock at the fire, are others going to start poking around looking for stuff?— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While attendance has improved following partial compensation measures, the damage to morale and institutional trust lingers.— Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
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Evoking a lifeless image to start a conversation about energy flow was counterintuitive, but the image lingers and proves his point.— Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For the United States, the blockade squeezes Iran’s already weakened economy by denying it long-term cash flow.— Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
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The waves, which were first used in Boston in 2011, help spread things out so that runners don’t have to walk after the start, when Main Street in Hopkinton squeezes to just 39 feet wide.— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The share of Americans who disapprove of the job that Congress is doing stands at an all-time high as the partial government shutdown drags on, according to new polling from Gallup.— Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
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The longer his nomination drags on, the greater the chance that the Fed and other central banks will be able to look past the Iran war's oil-price shock and get back to worrying about a weakening labor market.— Matt Peterson, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Inspired by real stories, Eva Marcille portrays a wife who miraculously cheats death after her husband’s (Tyler Lepley) betrayal in Pushed Off a Plane and Survived airing on February 28.— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
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Blashill wants the Blackhawks to be a fast-pressure team at both ends of the rink, one that attacks vertically but never cheats for offense.— Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Think about how often your toddler crawls near the dog bed or your kids toss pet toys around the living room.— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026
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In the book, Grace drags Rocky back to his part of the ship, exposing himself to the Eridian environment; in the film, Rocky crawls back while Grace is unconscious.— Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In games like Tuesday, when that deep postseason run seems realistic, UCLA pops the ball around on offense and communicates and hustles to overcome its deficiencies on defense.— Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
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Compared to the behemoth Acela, which hustles hundreds of thousands of riders between Boston, New York City, and Washington DC each month, Amtrak's Mardi Gras line is downright petite—just two 58-seat coaches, plus a café car and a 14-seat Business Class car.— Kara Newman, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Diddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/diddles. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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