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 Throughout the series, Sam contends with precarious finances, health hiccups, Fred’s meddling wife, Susie (Jennifer Mudge), and a surprising new love interest. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Oct. 2024 Alongside a more sophisticated misinformation campaign, Shor has resorted to cruder methods to meddle with Moldovan politics. Christian Edwards, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024 Advertisement Li didn’t name the foreign forces, but China has previously warned the U.S. not to meddle in the region’s territorial disputes. Eileen Ng and Jintamas Saksornchai, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024 But the incident coincides with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issuing warnings about Russia, Iran, and China using AI—including deepfakes—to meddle in U.S. elections. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for meddle 

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 31 Oct. 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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