fiddle with
phrasal verb
fiddled with; fiddling with; fiddles with
1
: to move or handle (something) with the hands or fingers in a nervous way
She was nervously fiddling with her pencil as she waited for the test to start.
2
: to change or handle (something, such as the controls of a machine) in a way that shows one is not sure what to do
He was fiddling with the controls of the television, trying to get it to work.
3
: to change (something) in a harmful or foolish way
It became clear that someone had fiddled with the equipment.
Examples of fiddle with in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The birds have also been seen swinging around power lines, tugging at ropes and fiddling with other urban structures (such as this gate lock below), which suggests there's also a high degree of social play involved in their behavior.
—
New Atlas, 4 June 2025
Hay was fiddling with the drum machine and keyboard.
—Kate Knibbs, Wired News, 20 May 2025
Roger [Daltrey] did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Roger did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fiddle with
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New Atlas, 4 June 2025
Hay was fiddling with the drum machine and keyboard.
—Kate Knibbs, Wired News, 20 May 2025
Roger [Daltrey] did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Roger did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fiddle with
Cite this Entry
“Fiddle with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiddle%20with. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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