tinkered; tinkering
ˈtiŋ-k(ə-)riŋ 
: to work in the manner of a tinker
especially
: to repair, adjust, or work with something in an unskilled or experimental manner : fiddle
always tinkering with his car
: to repair, adjust, or experiment with
plural tinkers
1
a
: a usually itinerant mender of household utensils
b
: an unskillful mender : bungler
2
chiefly Ireland, sometimes offensive
: romani sense 1
Synonyms
Examples of tinker in a Sentence
Verb
He was tinkering in the garage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Some scientists warn that tinkering with Earth’s atmosphere to fix climate change is likely to create cascading new problems.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2024
Cronin tinkered with his lineups, using eight different groups of five players, the mass substitutions resembling hockey shifts.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Six years ago, in a townhouse in Santa Monica, Mario Danek began tinkering on a device to help cigarette smokers quit.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinker 
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.
Verb
It’s become one of the biggest factors in this series, as the Padres seemingly have tinkered with their game plan for the soon-to-be three-time most valuable player.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Some scientists warn that tinkering with Earth’s atmosphere to fix climate change is likely to create cascading new problems.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2024
Cronin tinkered with his lineups, using eight different groups of five players, the mass substitutions resembling hockey shifts.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Six years ago, in a townhouse in Santa Monica, Mario Danek began tinkering on a device to help cigarette smokers quit.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinker
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Dictionary Entries Near tinker
Cite this Entry
“Tinker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinker. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tinker
1 of 2 noun
tin·ker
ˈtiŋ-kər
: a person who travels around and earns a living by repairing household utensils (as pots and pans)
tinker
2 of 2 verb
tinkered; tinkering
ˈtiŋ-k(ə-)riŋ
: to repair or adjust something in an unskilled or experimental manner
tinkering with his car
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share