meddle

verb

med·​dle ˈme-dᵊl How to pronounce meddle (audio)
meddled; meddling
ˈmed-liŋ,
ˈme-dᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce meddle (audio)

intransitive verb

: to interest oneself in what is not one's concern : interfere without right or propriety (see propriety sense 1)
I never meddle in other people's private affairsG. B. Shaw

Examples of meddle in a Sentence

please stop meddling in your sister's marriage, even though you mean well
Recent Examples on the Web Research in the expanding field of space medicine has identified many ways in which a microgravity environment and other factors can meddle with the human body during space missions. Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024 But the company also wielded accusations of xenophobia against good-faith skeptics who simply wanted to know how an app owned by a Chinese tech conglomerate could be free of Chinese influence, given Beijing’s track record of meddling with its tech companies. Kevin Roose, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Similar efforts by Russia to meddle in the 2016 election in favor of Trump were corroborated by DOJ Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation in 2019. Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 Larry Still Has a Looming Court Date Last week’s episode saw Larry’s lawyer (Sean Hayes) forgetting to file his dismissal after Larry meddled in the personal life of his attorney and his husband (played by Dan Levy). Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 The online landscape has dramatically shifted since Russia sought to meddle in America’s 2016 presidential race won by Mr. Trump. David Klepper, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024 The online landscape has dramatically shifted since Russia sought to meddle in America's 2016 presidential race won by Trump. David Klepper, Quartz, 1 Mar. 2024 But of course, people with a predisposition to meddle will always do so, given the chance. John C. Goodman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 But Sorbello, 37, didn’t return to meddle in her costars’ relationships. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meddle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English medlen, from Anglo-French mesler, medler, from Vulgar Latin *misculare, from Latin miscēre to mix — more at mix

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of meddle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near meddle

Cite this Entry

“Meddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meddle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

meddle

verb
med·​dle ˈmed-ᵊl How to pronounce meddle (audio)
meddled; meddling ˈmed-liŋ How to pronounce meddle (audio)
-ᵊl-iŋ
: to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
meddle in another's business
meddler
ˈmed-lər How to pronounce meddle (audio)
-ᵊl-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on meddle

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