1
as in to fidget
to make jerky or restless movements
the executive fiddled with a pen as she impatiently waited for the meeting to begin
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
conscienceless grifters who had spent their lives fiddling the naive
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in nuts
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
oh, fiddle! I've heard that excuse a thousand times before
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in scam
chiefly British
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
the e-mail was another one of those fiddles from some supposed millionaire seeking to transfer funds out of his country
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fiddle
Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025
The party that fails this test will be remembered — if at all — as the one fiddling while Rome was automated.
—Matt K. Lewis, Twin Cities, 19 Aug. 2025
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2025
Roan leans in here with feeling, drenching the song in fiddle and even getting close to a yodel in her vocal delivery.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fiddle
Verb
From Callahan’s baritone vocals to the wailing electric guitar and spritely fiddle, everything is loud and clear.
—Noun
The plant is named for its broad, thick, leathery leaves that are shaped like a fiddle.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiddle
Verb
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Children fidgeted in the relentless August heat.—
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People with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism may share symptoms like fidgeting and restlessness.—
Verb
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The only reason that Bikini Frankenstein does not rank higher on this list is because putting a softcore porno at the top would feel like cheating.—
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But like his predecessor, this Frankenstein is just as obsessed with immortality and cheating death through science.—
Noun
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The next slide showed a mouthwatering array of meats, cheeses, crudite and nuts set for snacking on, along with bottles of Haack's champagne line, Clé Cachée, chilling behind an array of glasses.—
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For instance, nuts, seeds, nut butters, and chocolate are more prone to oxidation, which can lead to rancid flavors or a gritty texture.—
Noun
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Trailer Park Boys is a faux documentary about three petty criminals running scams from their Halifax trailer park and streams on Netflix.—
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Just because Trump thinks climate change is a scam, doesn’t mean the rest of the world agrees.—
Verb
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Someone off camera then tossed him that actual T-shirt.—
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Failing to get a criminal conviction tossed and again complaining about the conditions at Rikers Island, Weinstein wants to begin negotiations with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s office ahead of his upcoming trial, his lawyer said during a hearing Thursday.—
Verb
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The Panthers squeezed a few end-of-career seasons out of guys such as Dino Ciccarelli and Igor Larionov.—
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Instead, 2026 is about building both stylish and sensible outfits that can take you from the airport to the streets with maximum versatility without ever squeezing into tight, form-fitting fabric.—
Noun
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Crucially, the eggs were fittingly fluffy, none of that rubbery nonsense that plague lesser burrito slingers.—
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All’s Fair is girlboss nonsense.—
Verb
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At 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, Huff at his best has good bend and some twitch to his game.—
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Their usefulness remains an open question At the back of a conference hall at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas, a humanoid robot twitched through a preprogrammed wave for a crowd of cell phone cameras—a classic scene of high spectacle and unclear utility at CES.—
Cite this Entry
“Fiddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiddle. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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