meddle

verb med·dle \ ˈme-dᵊl \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

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Examples: meddle in a Sentence

Definition of meddle

meddled; meddling play \ˈmed-liŋ, ˈme-dᵊl-iŋ\

intransitive verb

: to interest oneself in what is not one's concern : interfere without right or propriety (see propriety 3)

I never meddle in other people's private affairs
—G. B. Shaw

—

meddler

play \ˈmed-lər, ˈme-dᵊl-ər\ noun

See meddle defined for English-language learners

See meddle defined for kids

Examples of meddle in a Sentence

please stop meddling in your sister's marriage, even though you mean well

Recent Examples of meddle from the Web

Duterte dismissed the remarks of Diego Garcia-Sayan and told him not to meddle in domestic problems.

— Bloomberg.com, "Duterte Tells UN Expert to ‘Go to Hell’ Over Criticism," 3 June 2018
This week, Trump -- in his escalating effort to discredit the special counsel probe -- accused Robert Mueller of plotting to meddle in the midterm elections.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "America should be more at ease than this," 2 June 2018
Scrutiny of Facebook intensified after a Russian propaganda operation was charged with orchestrating a Facebook advertising campaign to meddle in the 2016 presidential election.

— jessica guynn, USA TODAY, "Facebook's new political ads rules trip up primary candidates," 25 May 2018
The Post’s Friday story isn’t the first time reports of emerged of Trump’s attempts to meddle with Amazon behind closed doors.

— emily stewart, Vox, "Trump’s trying to fight Amazon and Jeff Bezos from the White House," 19 May 2018
Ashe, who played a key role in drafting the scientific integrity policy as Obama’s director of FWS, said any administration can feel political temptations to meddle in science.

— adam aton, Scientific American, "Interior’s Handling of Science Gives Climate Advocates a Sense of Déjà Vu," 15 May 2018
But his comments are serious fodder for the president’s critics, who have plenty of reason to believe that his personal grudge against the media led him to meddle with a deal worth $85.4 billion.

— david z. morris, Fortune, "Giuliani Said Trump Killed AT&T Time Warner Merger, But the White House Says He’s Wrong," 12 May 2018
Older parents, hoping to stay independent, are quick to minimize difficulties; adult children, reluctant to meddle, may ignore red flags.

— WSJ, "When to Step In and Take Over an Older Parent’s Finances," 4 May 2018
Will James Dolan continue not to meddle in basketball decisions?

— rohan nadkarni, SI.com, "David Fizdale Needs Time and Support to Steer Knicks to Prominence," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'meddle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of meddle

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

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meddle Synonyms

MEDDLE Defined for English Language Learners

meddle

verb

Definition of meddle for English Language Learners

: to become involved in the activities and concerns of other people when your involvement is not wanted
: to change or handle something in a way that is unwanted or harmful

MEDDLE Defined for Kids

meddle

verb med·dle \ ˈme-dᵊl \

Definition of meddle for Students

meddled; meddling

: to be overly involved in someone else's business

Synonym Discussion of meddle

meddle, interfere, and tamper mean to get involved with something that is someone else's business. meddle is used for intruding in an inconsiderate and annoying fashion.