tamper

verb

tam·per | \ ˈtam-pər

tampered; tampering\ ˈtam-p(ə-)riŋ

Definition of tamper

intransitive verb

1a : to interfere so as to weaken or change for the worse —used with with did not want to tamper with tradition

b : to try foolish or dangerous experiments —used with with

c : to render something harmful or dangerous by altering its structure or composition was charged with tampering with consumer products

2a : to carry on underhand or improper negotiations (as by bribery)

b : to inflict physical harm, threats, intimidation, or corrupt persuasion with the goal of influencing or preventing a witness's testimony : to engage in witness tampering —used with with These alleged efforts were the basis for Mueller's accusation that Manafort was tampering with a witness, attempting to coach testimony, which would have violated the terms of his bail.— Franklin Foer

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Examples of tamper in a Sentence

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Prosecutors working for special counsel Robert Mueller are accusing former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of trying to tamper with witnesses in his ongoing criminal cases. — Chad Day, chicagotribune.com, "Mueller's team accuses Manafort of witness tampering," 5 June 2018 State elections officials suspect Dowless of tampering with or even discarding mail-in ballots last year. — Emery P. Dalesio, The Seattle Times, "Candidate says operative now under investigation got results," 11 Feb. 2019 Watts, 33, faces three first-degree murder charges, two counts of murdering a child under 12, one count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body. — Kathleen Foody, Fox News, "Man admits wife's murder, blames her for daughters' deaths," 21 Aug. 2018 When registering an account, users must provide their phone numbers and an eight-digit pin code, adding extra precautions like two-factor authentication in order to prevent accounts from being hacked or votes being tampered with. — Makena Kelly, The Verge, "Nearly 150 West Virginians voted with a mobile blockchain app," 10 Nov. 2018 Ahead of his trial, Manafort has been held in solitary confinement after his house arrest was revoked for allegedly tampering with witnesses in June. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, "Paul Manafort's trial to test Mueller, Trump: What to know about the case," 31 July 2018 The team was then fined $50,000 in February for tampering after Johnson made comments complimentary of Giannis Antetokounmpo in an ESPN story. — Charlotte Carroll, SI.com, "Report: Lakers Hold Meeting to Warn Staff About Tampering," 20 June 2018 As the campaigns resumed on Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari, the former military junta leader who returned to power in 2015 elections, issued a warning that Nigeria’s army would kill anyone deemed to be tampering with the ballots. — Joe Parkinson, WSJ, "Nigeria to Vote After Delay Brings New Conflict," 21 Feb. 2019 But those results have been marred by explosive allegations that an operative working for the Harris campaign collected, tampered with or even destroyed absentee ballots. — Dylan Scott, Vox, "More evidence piles up in North Carolina election fraud scandal," 26 Dec. 2018

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