DIDDLES Synonyms: 157 Similar and Opposite Words

diddles

verb

present tense third-person singular of diddle

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

As Hogi pokes a hole in this plot and shatters the industrial love complex we’ve been sold song after song, movie after movie, the workplace version of this unhealthy relationship presents a familiar parallel.

— Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Perched on a finger of land that pokes into Lebanon, Metula is usually crowded with tourists this time of year.

— Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

Definition of pokes

Verb

His torso and thighs grow eye-poppingly muscular beneath their skimpy fur-and-leather togs—a development that does not go unnoticed by a warrior named Red Hair, who plucks the young hunk from his post and tosses him into the prime time of the gladiator pit.

— Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
But the emotional gravity of this offering's deeply personal, melancholic lyrical content plucks an undeniably profound chord that uniquely separates it from the rest of his work.

— Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026

Definition of plucks

Verb

Smoke lingers over the charred ground as flames burn through the brush while Spokane Valley Fire Department crews respond to the Autumn Lane Fire on Monday.

— Amanda Jackson, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
High temps have peaked, but heat still lingers The heat wave this weekend was due to an intense heat dome — a mass of high pressure all the way through the higher altitudes of the atmosphere — peaking over Southern California.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of lingers

Verb

That not only squeezes consumers' budgets, but also hits businesses hard, especially those which are heavily dependent on fuel.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
That not only squeezes consumers’ budgets, but also hits businesses hard, especially those that are heavily dependent on fuel.

— Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of squeezes

Verb

Jessica Gonzalez hustles behind her booth at the recent Renegade Craft Fair, frantically ringing up sales, answering questions and packaging her beeswax candles.

— Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Despite concerns that chip stocks could be topping out as the industry hustles to boost supply, Wall Street thinks Micron still has plenty of room to run.

— Tobias Burns, CNBC, 22 June 2026

Definition of hustles

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

Style

“Diddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddles. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of diddles

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

colloquial

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes