FIDDLED (AROUND) Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

fiddled (around)

verb

past tense of fiddle (around)

as in goofed (around)

to spend time in aimless activity we spent the snow day just fiddling around

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiddled (around)

Verb

My model is concentrated on the last 24 rounds played, and includes driving distance, strokes gained off the tee, strokes gained around the green, strokes gained putting, and strokes gained on par 3s longer than 200 yards.

— Dennis Esser, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
View this post on Instagram Alyson Stoner Alyson Stoner, who also played Kairi in Kingdom Hearts, shared an emotional, heartfelt video mourning the loss of Panettiere.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of played

Verb

Then in spring training this year, Hollowell again messed around with different changeup grips while incorporating mental cues from previous coaches, and something clicked with a circle-change grip.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026
Dragstrem, who focuses more on production, has messed around with it but was left unsatisfied; McGill, who’s more lyrics-driven, wants nothing to do with the tech.

— Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 30 May 2026

Definition of messed around

Verb

No balls were kicked around, but a first impression was made about a pitch that’s cropped tighter than a Pebble Beach fairway yet in impressive shape after four games over 11 days.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 25 June 2026
Near a door leading to a loading dock, a group of players on the host Vegas Golden Knights — including forward Mitch Marner, who went on to score a regulation hat trick in a 5-4 win — stood in a circle and kicked around a soccer ball.

— Peter Baugh, New York Times, 8 June 2026

Definition of kicked around

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.

Browse Nearby Words

fiddled

fiddled (around)

fiddled away

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fiddled (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiddled%20%28around%29. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of fiddled (around)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tilde

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes