twiddle
Americanverb (used with object)
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twiddles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
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:
Yet, Eggers was not one to sit and twiddle his thumbs.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2024
"I could either twiddle my thumbs or I could do something to help people and open," he said.
From Reuters ● Oct. 27, 2023
During offseasons, she’d twiddle her thumbs, unsure of what exactly to do with herself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2022
“What are the rest of us supposed to do? Just twiddle our thumbs and send players and capital over to Europe?” said Montagliani, a Canadian.
From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2022
“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
There were still the little tricks and twiddles, particularly early on, before the game got away from him, before the little kicks and frustrations began to chip away at his joy.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 21, 2020
“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
He twiddles his thumbs and takes a few measured breaths.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
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
One of the most stunning allegations Thursday was that while Ohtani twiddled his batting gloves, Mizuhara refused to allow anyone else on his business team to view Ohtani’s $16-million spigot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2024
Attempting to locate one of the rarest animals on the planet, US government scientist Joe Madison pointed an antiquated VHF tracking antenna at a tangle of thick vegetation and twiddled some dials on the receiver.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 7, 2019
Ever since Singapore, Kim’s negotiators—many of whom have been at their jobs since the arms talks with the Clinton administration, a quarter-century ago—have pretty much twiddled their thumbs in their sessions with the U.S. team.
From Slate ● Oct. 4, 2018
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
They were all waving and twiddling their wands in unison, and squares of colored paper were flying in every direction like little pink kites.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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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.
