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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 Nigerian millionaire seeking to transfer funds out of his country
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of fiddle
Corinna Da Fonseca-Wollheim, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Cain, who served as guitarist as well as MD, didn’t have to go far in his Rolodex to find a first-rank group of musicians, most of whom he’s played with for two decades or more, including keyboard player Jen Gunderman, drummer Chris Kimmerer, fiddle player Melissa Barrison and bassist Rob Cureton.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 3 May 2025
Chelsea Edgar, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2025
Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 15 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for fiddle
Noun
The dignitary in question is a 270-year-old folk fiddle, covered in what looks like full-body floral tattoos, which belonged to the dance master William Gregg.
—Corinna Da Fonseca-Wollheim, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Cain, who served as guitarist as well as MD, didn’t have to go far in his Rolodex to find a first-rank group of musicians, most of whom he’s played with for two decades or more, including keyboard player Jen Gunderman, drummer Chris Kimmerer, fiddle player Melissa Barrison and bassist Rob Cureton.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 3 May 2025
Verb
Many of the rituals that once brought the community together—the Kiwanis Club Ice Fishing Derby, fiddling contests so explosive that spectators sometimes came to blows—have faded away.
—Chelsea Edgar, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2025
Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 15 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for fiddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiddle
Noun
-
Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Without that pollination, almond trees produce only 200 pounds of nuts per acre.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Vague delivery details could signal a scam Here's how the scam works, according to the BBB: Need a break?—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
-
Thankfully, all the scam spam doesn’t seem to have killed anyone’s appetite for the grift as a genre.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
In this puzzle, the fiddle is not the musical instrument, but a type of fidgeting.—
Deb Amlen,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Sitting with his defense team in Judge Arun Subramanian’s lower Manhattan courtroom, a steely eyed and fidgeting Combs Friday morning listened as the ‘Me & U’ singer resumed her testimony under questioning from attorney Anna Estevao.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
The responsibility and reasoning behind infidelity lie solely with the person who cheated.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
After reconciling, the former couple still faced several challenges, including cheating allegations and public social media fallouts.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Beyond that, the show is mostly content to amble along, loping toward the green and from time to time indulging in odd bits of nonsense.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
4 June 2025
-
Yet Towns has proven, one moment at a time, that reputation, that narrative is a bunch of nonsense.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
31 May 2025
Verb
-
Another tossed a traffic cone into the vehicle’s windshield, damaging it.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 June 2025
-
Winner: Lenovo Legion Go S Tech Specs: Upscaling Is the Secret Sauce Gaming handhelds have to do it all—support the latest and greatest games while maintaining a form factor that can be tossed into your bookbag.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
In some towns, utility poles were removed so the caravans could squeeze through.—
Angela Jackson,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
Hundreds of people squeezed into the Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colo., for a vigil that featured prayer, singing and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses of the firebombing attack in the city’s downtown, after a federal judge blocked the deportation of the suspect’s family.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
They were also assisted by actress Katherine McNamara on vocals and jazz musicians Adeev and Ezra Potash, who played horned instruments, and songwriter Philip Bowen, who played the fiddle.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2025
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Al Foster, the jazz drummer who played in bands led by Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, among others, has died.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fiddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiddle. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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