diddling

verb

Definition of diddlingnext
present participle of diddle
1
as in delaying
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
2
as in cheating
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for diddling
  1. cheating
  2. poking
  3. hustling
  4. lingering
  5. playing
  6. beating
  7. doing
Verb
  • Most significantly, with three other dangerous Bears weapons spread to the right, safety Xavier Woods began cheating in that direction before the play began.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Alexander says having an app summarize material for a learner is not considered cheating.
    Sarah Scott, Parents, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • No leader wants to be like the movie Office Space, famous for poking fun at the flaws of the 1990s workplace cube farms and non-welcoming vibes.
    Julie Kratz, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Take Kule’s for example—the red stripes would look so chic poking out from beneath a tonal knit or ladylike jacket.
    Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of poking
Verb
  • Those best situated to make crypto common and an essential part of life are likely much younger than the politicians out hustling for votes.
    John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
  • That means hustling through a shower and getting dressed; a friend is picking me up for a day of thrift shopping and hitting the Amish grocery stores.
    R29 Team, refinery29.com, 11 Oct. 2024
Definition of hustling
Verb
  • The medium-length and smooth finish leaves a lingering impression of vanilla, caramel, and oak.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The lingering autumn-like warmth not only offers pleasant days for outdoor activities but could also provide some financial relief for local households after the electric bill price hikes that usually happen during the scorching summer months in the city.
    Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • However, with technology functions playing an increasingly integral role in business growth, other C-level roles have emerged to take on some of the responsibilities.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Some fans say folk purists were booing because Dylan was playing electric, while others say the ruckus was merely over the distorted sound.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of playing
Verb
  • Palo Alto’s business is doing well — the company reported expectations-beating results for its fiscal 2025 first quarter, raised full year guidance, and announced a 2-for-1 stock split occurring later this month, according to Investopedia.
    Peter Cohan, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Last World Cup in Qatar was won by Lionel Messi’s Argentina, beating France in the final.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of beating
Verb
  • The installation and monthly fees related to those alarm systems are also deductible as part of the cost of doing business on those types of properties.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • But the third nominee, Robin Williams, still got on stage at the insistence of Nicholson and ended up doing a spot-on imitation of him.
    Jenelle Riley, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of doing
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near diddling

diddlies

diddling

diddling (with)

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Diddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddling. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...