as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
his motives for starting an argument with the coach were a complete riddle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in
several signs along the highway were riddled by buckshot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to penetrate
to spread throughout
the newspaper exposé revealed a gaming commission that is riddled with corruption
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of riddle
Melissa Willets, Parents, 9 May 2025
His presence is part of the peculiar riddle that Djokovic, who turns 38 on May 22, has been trying to solve for going on two years now.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Scott Bauer, Twin Cities, 31 May 2025
Díaz is joining a Dodgers bullpen that has been riddled with injuries in the early portion of the season, with Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates, and Michael Kopech on the injured list with various return dates.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for riddle
Noun
Wednesday, write a poem, or a riddle, or something.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 9 May 2025
His presence is part of the peculiar riddle that Djokovic, who turns 38 on May 22, has been trying to solve for going on two years now.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
The list, which was riddled with misspellings, included sparsely populated counties that have little interaction with immigration authorities, that overwhelmingly voted for President Donald Trump and that have actively supported his hard-line immigration policies.
—Scott Bauer, Twin Cities, 31 May 2025
Díaz is joining a Dodgers bullpen that has been riddled with injuries in the early portion of the season, with Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates, and Michael Kopech on the injured list with various return dates.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for riddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddle
Noun
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Fan speculation has centered on Kendrick Lamar or Jay-Z being the mystery man.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
29 May 2025
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Adding to the mystery, Teleios emits only in radio wavelengths, with a hint of hydrogen-alpha emissions.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Chisholm, fresh off the injured list following an oblique strain, drilled Tanner Bibee’s first pitch of the frame at 105.7 mph.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2025
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Bryant continued making timely plays by drilling a corner 3 with about eight minutes left in the third quarter, his second of the night, to push Indiana’s lead to 11 points.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
Verb
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The sprawling but penetrating 4½ hour documentary about French complicity with its Nazi captors during the war exploded the myth that the French resisted their occupiers.—
Richard Natale,
Variety,
26 May 2025
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The difference between the two can be broken down as follows: Mineral Sunscreens Mineral sunscreens, also known as physical sunscreens, block the sun’s harmful UV rays from penetrating the skin.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
26 May 2025
Noun
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Need help with today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle?—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Most days, there are between three and five clues in each direction on a five by five grid, but the puzzles are sometimes larger, especially on Saturdays.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Your allies probably have LGBTQ+ coworkers, cousins or that person from their yoga class who has a labret piercing and a rainbow carabiner.—
Anna Pulley,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
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This mistake of not tackling law, tax and financial decisions in a unified manner results in the corporate veil being pierced, personal assets being liquidated, and even bankruptcies and liquidations.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
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His work is suffused with such affection for the edge places where Europe bleeds into its others—Venice, Trieste, Alexandria, Algiers—that the continent becomes all edge.—
Nicholas Dames,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
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Kaunas: Where the Grand Duchy Endures As the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania — one of Europe’s largest and most powerful nations during the Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance — Kaunas is suffused with history.—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Bacon’s Castle was originally built by Arthur Allen, who remains something of an enigma to historians, according to the National Park Service.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2025
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History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images To many observers of China, its top leader, Xi Jinping, is an enigma.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
28 May 2025
Verb
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When the victim initially resisted, the suspect kicked and punched him and forcibly grabbed a wad of cash from the vehicle, police said.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2025
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The inmate told prison staff that around 4:30 p.m. on March 7, two other inmates came into his cell, tied him up, kicked and punched him and poked him with a knife, police said.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddle. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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