twiddle
Americanverb (used with object)
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twiddles,
present (3rd person singular)
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twiddled,
past participle, past
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twiddling
present participle
verb (used without object)
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twiddles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
twiddled,
past participle, past
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twiddling
present participle
-
to play or trifle idly with something; fiddle.
-
to turn about lightly; twirl.
noun
idioms
verb
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to twirl or fiddle (with), often in an idle way
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to do nothing; be unoccupied
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(intr) to turn, twirl, or rotate
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rare (intr) to be occupied with trifles
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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twiddlesimple
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twiddlessimple
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have twiddledperfect
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has twiddledperfect
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am twiddlingprogressive
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are twiddlingprogressive
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is twiddlingprogressive
-
have been twiddlingperfect progressive
-
has been twiddlingperfect progressive
Past
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twiddledsimple
-
had twiddledperfect
-
was twiddlingprogressive
-
were twiddlingprogressive
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had been twiddlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of twiddle
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Biden said he had tasked his entire administration with finding levers to pull and knobs to twiddle that might reduce inflation.
From Salon ● May 28, 2024
"I could either twiddle my thumbs or I could do something to help people and open," he said.
From Reuters ● Oct. 27, 2023
We have no more time to twiddle our collective thumbs.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 11, 2020
When Perry began his formal prayer, Trump assumed a posture of piety — eyes closed, bowed head, clasped hands — but began to twiddle his thumbs and briefly opened his eyes.
From New York Times ● Oct. 29, 2019
“I twiddle about with lines of verse now and then, but it’s only a hobby. In any case, thank you for indulging me.”
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
Abrasive, shallow and giddily watchable, her Wow Platinum — what a name! — twiddles her clawed fingers like a femme fatale dead certain she can charm her way to the top.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2025
Liberated from chronology and fact, the comedy-drama twiddles the timeline of Catherine’s career and marriage.
From New York Times ● Dec. 26, 2021
“We can’t afford to allow more devastation to be caused to the park while the Park Service twiddles their thumbs trying to come up with an expensive plan,” Gosar said in a statement this week.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 26, 2016
Eye blinks, finger twiddles, fidgeting — there’s no detail too small for the timer to add to the exposure sheet, ensuring the team in LA maximum control over what the South Korean animation studio delivers.
From The Verge ● Oct. 25, 2015
It twiddles along for a minute through the air and lands on the brown ottoman, which enrages my mother because it didn’t fall fast enough or land hard enough.
From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson
You could follow the text at the bottom of the screen, but most people just twiddled their thumbs and waited.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2025
Alma’s poltergeist not only twiddled necklaces but sprang them from shop counters; it whipped saucers across rooms, upended eiderdowns, spun rings on to fingers.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 19, 2020
The board and some investors seemed to have twiddled their thumbs while the wreckage piled up, possibly hoping that Charney would eventually bring back the magic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2016
For 16 days, around 800,000 government employees twiddled their thumbs.
From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2014
He twiddled his fat thumbs and fidgeted as he watched Dumbledore fasten his traveling cloak, and Harry zip up his jacket.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
“It’s not like we’re twiddling our thumbs and trying to get some money. This is a very serious condition,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2026
Meanwhile Miami, which had been ranked behind Notre Dame, and like the Irish, had been inactive and twiddling thumbs over conference championship weekend, vaulted over South Bend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025
The court granted cert to the case on Wednesday, after twiddling its thumbs for 16 days, and it scheduled oral arguments for April 22.
From Slate ● Mar. 2, 2024
For now, I'll be twiddling my thumbs, waiting for Hollywood to come out with another Indian-American horror story soon.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2023
After twiddling their thumbs a few minutes, the children stacked their suitcases and took turns standing on them to peek over the wall.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
