puttered (around)

verb

past tense of putter (around)
as in fiddled (around)
to spend time in aimless activity I spent all weekend at home just puttering around

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for puttered (around)
  1. played
  2. fooled around
  3. messed around
Verb
  • Upon the Lincoln’s arrival in the morning, service members could be seen working aboard the deck as loudspeakers played announcements about the process for disembarkation.
    — Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
  • For Jaissle, a defensive midfielder who had preferably played in the Premier League was essential.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of played
Verb
  • Not too long ago, artificial intelligence was more or less a science project in which data scientists and developers fooled around with one-off small or test projects.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of fooled around
Verb
  • Then in spring training this year, Hollowell again messed around with different changeup grips while incorporating mental cues from previous coaches, and something clicked with a circle-change grip.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026
  • Dragstrem, who focuses more on production, has messed around with it but was left unsatisfied; McGill, who’s more lyrics-driven, wants nothing to do with the tech.
    — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 30 May 2026
Definition of messed around
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

putter (around)
puttered (around)
putterer
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Cite this Entry

“Puttered (around).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puttered%20%28around%29. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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