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

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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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for diddles

Verb

And yet there’s this piece in the policy which pokes its head [and forces them to find a surrogate in Texas].

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
The International Kazoo Championship pokes a little fun at the rigidity of the main stage.

— David Alm, Longreads, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of pokes

Verb

Trump sometimes plucks memes from a sprawling ecosystem of online conservative supporters, and sometimes his government staff produces them as part of their official messaging.

— Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of plucks

Verb

If a strange new scent appears or concern lingers, Harvard Health advises talking to a doctor.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026
In the scene, Simon’s family speaks Kreyòl — although to varying degrees of proficiency — and the camera lingers on the Haitian feast presented on the table.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of lingers

Verb

That wrestling match itself, however, makes for compelling theater about as often as the camel squeezes through the needle.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
The jobs market has been resilient even as stubbornly high inflation squeezes businesses and households.

— Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of squeezes

Verb

Republicans have expressed growing pessimism about their chances in the election, which will determine control of Congress, as the president has repeatedly dismissed concerns about high costs and gas prices as his unpopular war in Iran drags on.

— MICHELLE L. PRICE, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
In it, a botched secret mission drags Eken Babu into a mystery in Kerala.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of drags

Verb

There’s also a less than 10% chance of showers, if one of the hurricanes crawls farther up the coast, according to Wofford.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Hairy-nosed wombat births are hard to spot, as after about a 30-day pregnancy, the joey crawls into its mother’s pouch.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawls

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

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“Diddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diddles. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of diddles

verb

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