as in minor
lacking importance you should delegate these fiddling matters to your staff so that you can focus on more important issues
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fidgeting
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in twitching
to make jerky or restless movements the executive fiddled with a pen as she impatiently waited for the meeting to begin
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats conscienceless grifters who had spent their lives fiddling the naive
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Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of fiddling
Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026 Because the two cameras on the drone are rotatable via a pivot mechanism, the drone can also just use one camera, pointing forward, to shoot conventional 4K videos, meaning these are just regular videos with set framing and do not need any fiddling in post-production. —Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2026 But the mayor’s dramatic tale of his predecessor’s fiscal fiddling was designed with a clear political agenda in mind: both to underline the magnitude of the problem and to identify the villains responsible for this perfidy. —Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2026 As the options for facial fiddling have become more accessible, the face is increasingly regarded as an image to be perfected. —Valerie Monroe, Allure, 15 Jan. 2026 For those deep in the Apple ecosystem who want headphones that just work without all the fiddling, the Beats Solo 4 make sense with a 25% discount. —PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025 Now scientists have found that, with a little fiddling, the feathers can be adjusted to turn flashes of light into laser beams. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 5 Aug. 2025 That means they’re perfectly aligned from the get-go, with no need for after-the-fact fiddling. —IEEE Spectrum, 11 Nov. 2016
Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 9 Mar. 2026 But in private, Arthur advises her to exercise a little more discretion in her, um, fiddling. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025 The party that fails this test will be remembered — if at all — as the one fiddling while Rome was automated. —Matt K. Lewis, Twin Cities, 19 Aug. 2025 Haggard was fiddling on the new strings when Marian, Dad’s mother, who’d taken over as the store’s bookkeeper, walked by. —Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
Colorado’s lone goal was a result of some Matt Wells tactical fiddling — and Keegan Rosenberry playing like his job’s on the line — gone right. —Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026 Because the two cameras on the drone are rotatable via a pivot mechanism, the drone can also just use one camera, pointing forward, to shoot conventional 4K videos, meaning these are just regular videos with set framing and do not need any fiddling in post-production. —Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2026 But the mayor’s dramatic tale of his predecessor’s fiscal fiddling was designed with a clear political agenda in mind: both to underline the magnitude of the problem and to identify the villains responsible for this perfidy. —Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2026 As the options for facial fiddling have become more accessible, the face is increasingly regarded as an image to be perfected. —Valerie Monroe, Allure, 15 Jan. 2026 For those deep in the Apple ecosystem who want headphones that just work without all the fiddling, the Beats Solo 4 make sense with a 25% discount. —PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025 Now scientists have found that, with a little fiddling, the feathers can be adjusted to turn flashes of light into laser beams. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 5 Aug. 2025 That means they’re perfectly aligned from the get-go, with no need for after-the-fact fiddling. —IEEE Spectrum, 11 Nov. 2016
Verb
But none of these tracks really explore their ideas as much as just fiddling in place, with any initial energy fizzling out almost immediately. —Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 9 Mar. 2026 But in private, Arthur advises her to exercise a little more discretion in her, um, fiddling. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025 The party that fails this test will be remembered — if at all — as the one fiddling while Rome was automated. —Matt K. Lewis, Twin Cities, 19 Aug. 2025 Haggard was fiddling on the new strings when Marian, Dad’s mother, who’d taken over as the store’s bookkeeper, walked by. —Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiddling
Adjective
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Snitker managed numerous minor-league clubs over the years, including Richmond, Mississippi, Durham and Macon.— Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 26 Apr. 2026
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Any minor spills or leaks within this storage area are expected to be contained within the basement level.— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Canines might be stressed and anxious, which can be shown through panting, whining, barking, pacing or fidgeting.— Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
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That fit may cut down on mid-session fidgeting during a video call or while answering a quick text.— Footwear News, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.— Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
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Afternoon Ben Thanh Market is Hồ Chí Minh’s biggest market – a vast maze of 1,500 stalls selling everything from still-twitching fish to electronics and souvenirs.— Tamara Hinson, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When the cheating scandal happened, there was a groundswell of support from fans, a protectiveness over Long as a woman and as a cultural touchstone.— Zeba Blay, SELF, 21 Apr. 2026
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Notice something small, then compliment it This one is almost cheating.— Henna Pryor, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Ceija Stojka’s small paintings at the Drawing Center swarm with such harrowing incident that viewers may not spot the mystery in the bottom right corner of many of her canvases.— Ben Davis, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
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The Pistons are small favorites on the road for Game 3.— Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment.— Hunter Ingram, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Maton made a rehab appearance at Triple A on Friday night, tossing a scoreless inning while allowing two hits, no walks and striking out two on 25 pitches.— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
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For Young, that means tossing aside a blocker, a process Minter likened to a train wreck.— Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Medical cost inflation surged, squeezing margins and forcing guidance lower, while Washington added uncertainty around reimbursements and oversight.— Jay Woods, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
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At the same time, inflation has ticked higher yet again, squeezing budgets and leaving less room for aggressive repayment strategies.— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fiddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/fiddling. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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