26984 words

fiddle

14 definitions • 16 examples
1
to act dishonestly in order to get something for yourself, or to change something dishonestly, especially to your advantage:

Examples:

She managed to fiddle a free trip to America.
fiddle the books He had been fiddling the books for years.
fiddle the accounts An employee had fiddled the accounts and helped himself to customers' money.
2
to move things about or touch things with no particular purpose:

Examples:

Put your papers down and stop fiddling with them!
3
to play the violin
4
a

Examples:

to play the fiddle
5
something difficult to do, especially because the things involved are small or need careful use of the fingers:

Examples:

a fiddle I find threading a needle a terrible fiddle.
[ + to infinitive ] It's a real fiddle to assemble because of all the small parts.
6
something dishonest that someone does in order to get money or other advantages:

Examples:

a tax fiddle
on the fiddle Everyone suspected they were on the fiddle (= cheating).
7
to move things around or touch things without a particular purpose:

Examples:

He stood there fiddling with his keys.
8
a violin
9
to change figures dishonestly, often in order to get more money:

Examples:

fiddle your overtime/expenses The report criticised officers who fiddled their overtime and tax inspectors who received tax-free bonuses.
10
to change something very slightly:

Examples:

fiddle with sth If you fiddle with the figures in the investment column, you should be able to get your budget to balance.
11
to dishonestly change a company's accounts or financial records:

Examples:

fiddled the books
12
something dishonest that is done in order to get money:

Examples:

tax/expenses/insurance fiddle A year later, he changed the rule, on the grounds that it was being used as a tax fiddle.
13
involved in dishonest behaviour, usually to get money:

Examples:

One in two holidaymakers claiming for lost luggage could be on the fiddle, claims a leading travel insurance firm.
14
to be seen as less important than another person or thing:

Examples:

There were times when security seemed to play second fiddle to how the security company wanted to present itself to the world.

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