DOODLE Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

doodle 1 of 2

verb

ˈdü-dᵊl

Definition of doodle

as in to play

to spend time in aimless activity I plan to spend the entire vacation just doodling

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

doodle

2 of 2

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of doodle

Verb

Art therapy isn’t just finger painting and doodling. — Hannah Silverman, Parents, 17 June 2026 They were inspired both by the 2023 California Superbloom and memories of doodling flowers while growing up in India. — Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 17 May 2026

Noun

Yankee doodle, whose the noodle? — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 Minutes later, an officer opened fire on a pet Saint Bernard doodle that was wearing a Knicks shirt. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for doodle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for doodle

Verb

Footwear also took a distinctly feminine direction this season, with embellishment playing a major role.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
This was apparent recently when a judge in Louisiana ruled that players who signed NFL contracts over the summer could return to play their fifth college season at LSU.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of play

Noun

Her work combines music, illustration, animation and fashion.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
But the Iran example – and particularly the ongoing episodic closures of the Strait of Hormuz – is one of the best illustrations today of how merely invoking credibility to act is not the same as having an overall endgame strategy.

— Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of illustration

Noun

More than 265,000 other tickets sold in the United States also won prizes ranging from $10 to $50,000 in the drawing, the lottery said.

— Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026
The exhibition culminates with the Future Indicative (1977), collaging Krasner’s figure drawings.

— John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of drawing

Noun

Conversations around racial caricature have evolved; what was edgy feels painfully passé.

— Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
As is the case with most election cycles, the claims and counterclaims about the ballot measures being voted on in California this time around are largely based on caricatures of the measures themselves.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of caricature

Noun

These are perfect negatives of the original objects, sometimes so detailed that the outlines of wood cells are visible under a microscope.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026
As with the Loran diagram, Lichtenstein’s painting turns Madame Cézanne into a black outline, with letters and arrows diagramming her husband’s compositional choices.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of outline

Noun

The team’s coach, Mike Ditka, who died last week, was immortalized in a series of Saturday Night Live sketches.

— Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Canaletto expert Charles Beddington authenticated the drawing, which was likely a preparatory sketch for a painting last sold in 1995 for $354,000 (about $766,000 in today’s dollars).

— News Desk, Artforum, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of sketch

Noun

The work, known as the Tondo of the Two Brothers, dates back to the 2nd century and belongs to a group of paintings known as the Fayum portraits.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay chose Milton Rogovin’s informal, untitled portrait of a beautiful young Buffalo woman from his East Side, 1961-63 collection.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of portrait

Noun

For the new movie, ILM preserved their recognizable silhouettes while inventing more realistic anatomy, movement and fighting styles.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
But Snell was just as inspired by the fashion of the ‘90s and early ‘00s — which do feature a similar silhouette to Austen’s own era — and by the relationship families and friends have to clothes that are timeless.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of silhouette

Browse Nearby Words

doodads

doodle

doodled

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“Doodle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doodle. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of doodle

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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