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
Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
Haus and his team first tinkered with design concepts, such as hole placement and size, and materials that will enhance coral growth.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2024
True to life, Cal is often seen tinkering with his bike throughout the film, trying to build a Harley that is all his own.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 21 June 2024
The victim and his 12-year-old cousin were tinkering with the altered weapon in the older boy’s fifth-floor apartment in the Howard Houses on Osborn St. near Pitkin Ave.
—Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinker 
Verb
Loading your audio article A young man tinkering around with a gun in Queens fired off at least two shots, one of which hit a neighbor’s dog, police said Tuesday.
—Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
Haus and his team first tinkered with design concepts, such as hole placement and size, and materials that will enhance coral growth.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2024
True to life, Cal is often seen tinkering with his bike throughout the film, trying to build a Harley that is all his own.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 21 June 2024
The victim and his 12-year-old cousin were tinkering with the altered weapon in the older boy’s fifth-floor apartment in the Howard Houses on Osborn St. near Pitkin Ave.
—Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinker
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tinker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 15 Jul. 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