fiddle with

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 other strong selling point is that the inexperienced videographer doesn't have to fiddle with a load of settings before recording. —David Szondy may 09, New Atlas, 9 May 2026

Younger kids can fiddle with the toy to keep their hands busy and explore sensory play. —Anja Webb, Parents, 25 Feb. 2026

Upstairs, Roy and his coterie were huddled around a laptop, fiddling with Cluely’s interface. —Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

After activity guide Ella Daniels fiddled with the laptop connected to the machine, a zap. —Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 19 Feb. 2026