1
: violin
2
: a device (such as a slat, rack, or light railing) to keep objects from sliding off a table aboard ship
3
: fiddlesticks
—used as an interjection
4
fiddled; fiddling
ˈfi-dᵊl-iŋ 
ˈfid-liŋ
ˈfid-liŋ
1
: to play on a fiddle
1
: to play (something) on a fiddle
fiddle a tune
3
: to alter or manipulate deceptively for fraudulent gain
… accountants fiddling the books.—
Stanley Cohen
Stanley CohenSynonyms of fiddle
Examples of fiddle in a Sentence
Noun
an expert with the fiddle
arrested for a tax fiddle
Verb
Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
the executive fiddled with a pen as she impatiently waited for the meeting to begin
Recent Examples on the Web
Ted Olson,
The Conversation,
2 July 2026
Ficus plants, such as fiddle-leaf figs, rubber trees, and weeping figs, are among the most popular houseplants.
—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 July 2026
Bestreviews,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Four top bluegrass bands will perform, and there will be fiddling demonstrations.
—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fiddle
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Noun
Transplants from the British Isles In 1776, as the nation’s founding generation proclaimed democratic ideals, music in the emerging United States consisted largely of British ballads, fiddle tunes, sea chanteys and hymns.
—
Ted Olson,
The Conversation,
2 July 2026
Ficus plants, such as fiddle-leaf figs, rubber trees, and weeping figs, are among the most popular houseplants.
—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 July 2026
Verb
Hinges There is a good chance your baby will often fiddle around with their sunglasses.
—
Bestreviews,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Four top bluegrass bands will perform, and there will be fiddling demonstrations.
—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fiddle
Cite this Entry
“Fiddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiddle. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fiddle
1 of 2 noun
fid·dle
ˈfid-ᵊl
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