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
Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 Nov. 2024
That’s not to say lawmakers haven’t repeatedly tinkered with its specifics, or that those changes have been unimportant.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
David Prior’s and Jennifer Kent’s episodes are standouts, but nearly every short story is well acted and immaculately designed (including the episodic prologues that feature del Toro tinkering with a gigantic physical prop of the titular cabinet) and will leave you wanting more.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024
Man Utd struggles, Girona hopes, and Erik ten Hag
Suns' Ryan Dunn, with an improved jump shot, could end up as the steal of the draft
Brain Games: Backing Bucky Irving, tinkering with Jakobi Meyers and more Week 7 advice
The 49ers' most prominent improvement since the Super Bowl?
—New York Times, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinker 
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Leading up to the election, Musk tinkered with the algorithm to give his posts a boost.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 Nov. 2024
That’s not to say lawmakers haven’t repeatedly tinkered with its specifics, or that those changes have been unimportant.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
David Prior’s and Jennifer Kent’s episodes are standouts, but nearly every short story is well acted and immaculately designed (including the episodic prologues that feature del Toro tinkering with a gigantic physical prop of the titular cabinet) and will leave you wanting more.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024
Man Utd struggles, Girona hopes, and Erik ten Hag
Suns' Ryan Dunn, with an improved jump shot, could end up as the steal of the draft
Brain Games: Backing Bucky Irving, tinkering with Jakobi Meyers and more Week 7 advice
The 49ers' most prominent improvement since the Super Bowl?
—New York Times, 17 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 4 Dec. 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
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