tinkered

VERB

fiddle with

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dabble mess

STRONG

doodle fix monkey niggle play puddle putter repair toy

WEAK

mess with muck about play with take apart trifle with

Antonyms

STRONG

break destroy work

WEAK

leave alone

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.

Pep's trademark possession football that goes backwards and sideways is definitely being tinkered with, with City and other leading teams now looking to play forward earlier - something I definitely approve of!

From BBC • May 15, 2026

"Yesterday, two helicopters landed right here. They tinkered with something, then left again," Mathiassen recalled.

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

They tinkered with his crossovers and his camel spin.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

He tinkered around with the idea and developed a flash-frozen burrito filled with beef, beans and red chili powder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

Ernest and his crews tinkered with the setup through the spring and into the summer while Conant and Bush pressed for faster progress.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik