meddle

verb

med·dle | \ ˈme-dᵊl

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

Definition of meddle

: 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 affairs— G. B. Shaw

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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. Don't meddle in her personal life. interfere is used for getting in the way of or disturbing someone or something whether intentionally or not. I tried to give advice without interfering. tamper is used for intruding or experimenting in a way that is wrong or uncalled-for and likely to be harmful. Someone had tampered with the lock.

Examples of meddle in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The Kremlin allows the central bank to set monetary policy without meddling, to meet a goal of inflation of 4%. — The Economist, "Russia is heaven for bondholders and hell for stockpickers," 29 June 2019 Earlier this month, the Senate passed a measure to prevent people who have meddled in American elections from securing visas to enter the United States, and last year, Congress approved $380 million in funding to improve election security systems. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "House passes election security bill over GOP objections," 27 June 2019 The appeals for leaders to confront China at the G-20 summit is likely to further anger Beijing amid Chinese claims of foreign meddling helping stoke the Hong Kong protests. — Washington Post, "Hong Kong protesters appeal for international pressure on China at G-20," 27 June 2019 Greenwich native Hope Hicks has agreed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee as Democrats continue their investigation into whether or not the Trump campaign colluded with Russian agents meddling in the 2016 presidential election. — Russell Blair, courant.com, "Capitol Week in Review: Republicans and Democrats fight over UTC headquarters departure," 14 June 2019 The United States has not given Russia or any other would-be meddler any real reason to stop meddling. — The Washington Post, Twin Cities, "Other voices: How to prevent another Russian attack," 13 June 2019 Romero praised Chernin for his contribution and effort to keep lawmakers from meddling with women's rights. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, "Hollywood's Peter Chernin to raise $15M to fight anti-abortion laws," 4 June 2019 The Meddler As the title suggests, this is about a nosy mom (Susan Sarandon) who meddles in the life of her struggling daughter (Rose Byrne). — Seventeen, "20 Mother's Day Movies to Watch With Your Mom," 11 Apr. 2019 Calls for a Facebook constitution along these lines have grown louder as the social network’s influence on world affairs, from election-meddling in America to genocide in Myanmar, has become apparent. — The Economist, "Facebook wants to create a digital currency," 18 June 2019

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.