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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of riddle
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Scientists may have finally solved the riddle of Tyrannosaurus rex’s small arms, which have always stood out as the oddest feature in the mightiest of dinosaurs, prompting jokes and a century-plus debate on their purpose and evolutionary history.
—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
25 May 2026
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
Similarly, a financial report that looks great but is riddled with errors won't cut it.
—
Steve Banker,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for riddle
Noun
The first clue in this riddle gives us the word SPY.
—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Scientists may have finally solved the riddle of Tyrannosaurus rex’s small arms, which have always stood out as the oddest feature in the mightiest of dinosaurs, prompting jokes and a century-plus debate on their purpose and evolutionary history.
—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
25 May 2026
Verb
Chief Warrant Officer Rodney Bearman's body was riddled with shrapnel in the early hours of the war on March 1 when an Iranian drone slammed into his work station in Kuwait.
—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
Similarly, a financial report that looks great but is riddled with errors won't cut it.
—
Steve Banker,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for riddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddle
Noun
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The aesthetic details of what will happen beyond the loading docks have been shrouded in mystery.
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Now, the historical society hopes community members hold the final missing pieces to the mystery.
Verb
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Moments later the ball bounced to Lamine Yamal, who drilled a shot that was blocked.
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Although the video does include a rig that involves drilling a mast beam (or thwart) into the canoe’s upper hull edge ( or gunwales), there is also a route that instead uses clamps.
Verb
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Education officials visited the company’s headquarters to see how the product worked and found that bullets did not penetrate the glass.
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Israel has a long track record of targeting senior Iranian military officers and government officials and successfully penetrating the Iranian regime’s security.
Noun
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The New York Times’ Strands puzzle is a play on the classic word search.
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Dedicate 30 minutes to an hour everyday to engage in a puzzle or arts and crafts project, depending on your child’s interests.
Verb
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The celebration opened with piercing fifes and thundering drums from the Young Patriots Fife & Drum Corps from Pleasanton, as a nod to America's quincentennial.
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Another means of circumventing the protection of the real property company is through veil piercing using an alter ego theory.
Verb
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His brow is porcelain-smooth and suffused with light, his locks glossy and curled, his nose straight and regular.
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The seductive serenity of the Alps on a sunny day suffused the scene.
Noun
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SpaceX, however, took the flexible lockup approach, wrapped it in a puzzle, strapped it to an enigma, and sent it to live in a colony on Mars.
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In 2024, now grown and with her adoptive father’s approval, the young woman sets off with a wealthy merchant to piece together the historical enigmas surrounding the ancient Sumpa kingdom.
Verb
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With group play coming to a close and the Round of 32 approaching, the competition is heating up as teams look to punch their tickets to the knockout round in hopes of hoisting the FIFA World Cup Trophy at the final on Sunday, July 19.
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That punched El Tri's ticket straight to the Round of 16 and kept the host nation's tournament dream alive for at least one more match.
Cite this Entry
“Riddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddle. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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