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
Hunter Patterson, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
The two leaders have floated tinkering with the audit law even after residents approved it in the fall.
—Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
More news: One NL Contender Appears Out of Roki Sasaki Sweepstakes
Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports the Phillies might not be done tinkering with their rotation.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
The league has tinkered with its All-Star event in the last few seasons with the intention of improving its competitive nature.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinker 
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Verb
Bickerstaff’s entire rotation will need to be tinkered with to make up for Ivey’s lost production.
—Hunter Patterson, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
The two leaders have floated tinkering with the audit law even after residents approved it in the fall.
—Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
More news: One NL Contender Appears Out of Roki Sasaki Sweepstakes
Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports the Phillies might not be done tinkering with their rotation.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
The league has tinkered with its All-Star event in the last few seasons with the intention of improving its competitive nature.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinker
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
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Dictionary Entries Near tinker
Cite this Entry
“Tinker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinker. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
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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