cribler

to riddle, to pepper (with holes or questions)

verb kree-BLAY Rare

Origin: From crible (sieve), Latin cribrum

Also means

to sift, to sieve

Usage Note

Cribler literally means to pass through a sieve, but the dominant modern use is figurative: criblé de dettes (riddled with debts) and criblé de balles (riddled with bullets) are both very common. Criblé de questions means pelted with questions. The adjective criblé de always carries a sense of being overwhelmed.

Examples

"Il était criblé de dettes."

Natural Translation

He was riddled with debts.

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