fiddling 1 of 3

adjective

ˈfid-liŋ How to pronounce fiddling (audio)
Definition of fiddlingnext
as in minor
lacking importance you should delegate these fiddling matters to your staff so that you can focus on more important issues

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fiddling

2 of 3

noun

as in fidgeting

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Dissimilar Words

fiddling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of fiddle
1
as in twitching
to make jerky or restless movements the executive fiddled with a pen as she impatiently waited for the meeting to begin

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats conscienceless grifters who had spent their lives fiddling the naive

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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 fiddling
Noun
As the options for facial fiddling have become more accessible, the face is increasingly regarded as an image to be perfected. — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 15 Jan. 2026 For those deep in the Apple ecosystem who want headphones that just work without all the fiddling, the Beats Solo 4 make sense with a 25% discount. — PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
But none of these tracks really explore their ideas as much as just fiddling in place, with any initial energy fizzling out almost immediately. — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 9 Mar. 2026 But in private, Arthur advises her to exercise a little more discretion in her, um, fiddling. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fiddling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiddling
  1. minor
  2. fidgeting
  3. twitching
  4. cheating
  5. small
  6. writhing
  7. tossing
  8. squeezing
Adjective
  • Steppach, 49, was the owner of Tim’s Tavern on Edison Avenue, where people protested daily in December after Steppach pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.
    — Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The anger fueled the rise of Sanseito, a minor right-wing party that rallied against immigrants in recent elections, putting pressure on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party government.
    — Christine Miyawaki, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of minor
Noun
  • Debra Kissen, clinical director of Light On Anxiety in Chicago, told Today that discreet fidgeting is more socially acceptable than clicking pens or spinning gadgets.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • It’s also designed to sit right at your natural waist, so no uncomfortable fidgeting here.
    — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of fidgeting
Verb
  • Green said his symptoms began when his feet started twitching in his sleep.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • Somewhere, John Tortorella's eye is twitching with rage after that.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of twitching
Verb
  • In this case, the reward was solving the ExploitGym questions and the hacking was literally hacking—cheating on the test and then hacking into Hugging Face in an effort to cover up the cheating (more on that below).
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Model 3 and Model Y adopted less elaborate press-and-pivot handles, helping give the cars their clean, wind-cheating profiles.
    — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheating
Adjective
  • That’s a dangerous prospect for any country, but especially for Singapore, crammed into a space smaller than New York City.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But after home brewers were able to show the appeal of hoppy IPAs, malty stouts and citrusy wheat ales, that eventually led to a boom in small breweries.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of small
Noun
  • Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment.
    — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
Definition of writhing
Verb
  • Simmer the pasta in the sauce, gently stirring and tossing occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But on a recent day, Aly was salvaging bricks from his razed home, tossing the good ones in a pile to sell to construction companies.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of tossing
Verb
  • In the distance, a toddler in a matching Nike outfit literally leaped into the arms of a crying woman, perhaps a grandmother, squeezing tightly for a hug.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The floods will likely change that outlook, squeezing a country that’s heavily dependent on tourism while forcing a costly period of reconstruction.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeezing

Browse Nearby Words

fiddle (with)
fiddling
fiddling (around)
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Cite this Entry

“Fiddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiddling. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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