fiddle away

verb

fiddled away; fiddling away; fiddles away

transitive verb

: to fritter away
fiddling away the time

Examples of fiddle away in a Sentence

fiddled away the entire evening surfing the Internet
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Her positive pablum came too late to stop critics from casting her as a modern-day Nero, the emperor who supposedly fiddled away as Rome burned. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fiddle away was in 1667

Dictionary Entries Near fiddle away

Cite this Entry

“Fiddle away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiddle%20away. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!