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.
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"It's July 2023. Building out the leadership of that operation today, so they can sit around and twiddle their thumbs for the next six months would be nuts," he said.
From Reuters ● Jul. 18, 2023
During offseasons, she’d twiddle her thumbs, unsure of what exactly to do with herself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2022
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
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
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
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
Give me the name of an unexpected collaborator and chances are he’s twiddled knobs in their vicinity.
From The Guardian ● May 5, 2018
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
I lifted the padlock and twiddled the numbers to the ones I’d seen Hannie use.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
“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
Pen clicking and hair twiddling were also triggers, though not quite as frequently.
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2024
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
He leans back in his chair, twiddling his moustache.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
