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:
"I could either twiddle my thumbs or I could do something to help people and open," he said.
From Reuters ● Oct. 27, 2023
“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
“Don’t wear a necklace if you’re tempted to twiddle it,” advised the paper.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 19, 2020
Michael Connelly’s detective is never one to twiddle thumbs, of course.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2019
When he heard her coming, he would lay aside his work, lean back, and twiddle his thumbs.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
For his part, Adam twiddles his own curly locks with one raised hand, seemingly in nervous anticipation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 18, 2024
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
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
They all largely twiddled their thumbs as accusations mounted that much was unhealthy in the GET-THIN campaign.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2021
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
