as in busy
thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited
the bride's parents promised that they would never be meddling in-laws
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in interference
Related Words
as in interfering
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
please stop meddling in your sister's marriage, even though you mean well
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of meddling
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Despite the studio's meddling and polarizing reactions at the time of release, Lang's efforts still impressed viewers, and in the decades that followed, many attempts were made to restore Lang's vision to varying degrees of success.
—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
Although 48% had confidence that there would be no meddling, the concerns expressed were still significant, said political scientist Eric Schickler, co-director of the institute.
—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Ultrabillionaire Jeff Bezos on Wednesday hyped artificial intelligence, blamed government meddling for economic woes and broadly defended himself and his mega-rich peers in an exclusive interview with CNBC.
—
Kevin Breuninger,annie Palmer,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
Kennedy’s move to reshape the CDC panel—the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP—came amid Kennedy’s many other attempts to undermine it, as well as a court order to undo that meddling.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
19 May 2026
To suggest that there would be any weird nefarious meddling here, okay?
—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Nebraska Democrats decried his last-minute candidacy as an example of the GOP meddling in their primary with a scheme to siphon votes away from Osborn in the fall.
—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the Congressional Leadership Fund is one of two Republican super PACs meddling in Democratic congressional primaries across the country to promote more progressive candidates.
—
Mathew Miranda
may 13,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Matt Motta,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
The story is untethered from reality in a way that's ridiculously charming—think the hijinks levels of Weekend at Bernie's paired with a whodunnit plot line plus a whole slew of meddling, larger-than-life characters.
—
Katherine Polcari,
Southern Living,
19 June 2026
Unlike polling, which is not typically prone to the same kind of meddling by campaigns, betting on one’s own campaign could ultimately change voters’ minds regarding the viability of a candidate.
—
Matt Motta,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
Although 48% had confidence that there would be not meddling, the concerns expressed were still significant, Schickler said.
—
Justine McDaniel,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
And a nod to president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos for not meddling with the lineup — and having the smarts to trade for Dubón in the first place.
—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
6 June 2026
The narrator’s family has moved to an affluent part of Bengaluru, and their attempts to head off meddling outsiders are at times subtle, at times pugnacious, but always hilarious.
—
The Week Us,
TheWeek,
27 May 2026
Adam’s devious plan and meddling soon sets everything, and everyone, spiraling out of control.
—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
However, life soon started meddling in her plans.
—
Juan A. Ramírez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Adjective
Practical, traditional and somewhat meddling, Aunt Maysilee places importance on societal norms.
—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
This succession was muddied thanks to the meddling of the King’s Hand, Otto Hightower, and the king’s own mumbled words on his deathbed to his wife, Alicent.
—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Despite the studio's meddling and polarizing reactions at the time of release, Lang's efforts still impressed viewers, and in the decades that followed, many attempts were made to restore Lang's vision to varying degrees of success.
—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
Although 48% had confidence that there would be no meddling, the concerns expressed were still significant, said political scientist Eric Schickler, co-director of the institute.
—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Ultrabillionaire Jeff Bezos on Wednesday hyped artificial intelligence, blamed government meddling for economic woes and broadly defended himself and his mega-rich peers in an exclusive interview with CNBC.
—
Kevin Breuninger,annie Palmer,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
Kennedy’s move to reshape the CDC panel—the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP—came amid Kennedy’s many other attempts to undermine it, as well as a court order to undo that meddling.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
19 May 2026
To suggest that there would be any weird nefarious meddling here, okay?
—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Nebraska Democrats decried his last-minute candidacy as an example of the GOP meddling in their primary with a scheme to siphon votes away from Osborn in the fall.
—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the Congressional Leadership Fund is one of two Republican super PACs meddling in Democratic congressional primaries across the country to promote more progressive candidates.
—
Mathew Miranda
may 13,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
Unlike polling, which is not typically prone to the same kind of meddling by campaigns, betting on one’s own campaign could ultimately change voters’ minds regarding the viability of a candidate.
—
Matt Motta,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
The story is untethered from reality in a way that's ridiculously charming—think the hijinks levels of Weekend at Bernie's paired with a whodunnit plot line plus a whole slew of meddling, larger-than-life characters.
—
Katherine Polcari,
Southern Living,
19 June 2026
Unlike polling, which is not typically prone to the same kind of meddling by campaigns, betting on one’s own campaign could ultimately change voters’ minds regarding the viability of a candidate.
—
Matt Motta,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
Although 48% had confidence that there would be not meddling, the concerns expressed were still significant, Schickler said.
—
Justine McDaniel,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
And a nod to president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos for not meddling with the lineup — and having the smarts to trade for Dubón in the first place.
—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
6 June 2026
The narrator’s family has moved to an affluent part of Bengaluru, and their attempts to head off meddling outsiders are at times subtle, at times pugnacious, but always hilarious.
—
The Week Us,
TheWeek,
27 May 2026
Adam’s devious plan and meddling soon sets everything, and everyone, spiraling out of control.
—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
However, life soon started meddling in her plans.
—
Juan A. Ramírez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meddling
Adjective
-
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest energy shipping corridors, has remained a focal point of tensions since fighting erupted between the United States, Israel and Iran earlier this year.
-
With the bullpen overworked from a busy week — which featured a doubleheader Wednesday — manager Craig Counsell said Friday wasn’t the time to be aggressive.
Noun
-
In the months since, the strait has seen intense GPS spoofing — a form of navigation systems interference that causes vessels’ broadcast positions to appear in the wrong locations.
-
The speed and scale of these disruptions prompted the United Nations aviation agency’s assembly to rebuke Russia in October 2025 for satellite interference.
Verb
-
Negrón also referred to the Justice Department and its Office of Government Ethics, the findings of an internal investigation led by the economic development agency against two government officials, who are accused of interfering in the process for an auction of a contract involving federal funds.
-
In an unprecedented moved in May, Lebanon filed a formal complaint against Iran at the United Nations Security Council, directly accusing Tehran of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations for interfering in its sovereign decisions and dragging the country into war.
Adjective
-
That was a policy focus for the Biden administration that the Trump administration now seems to regard as a distraction raised by meddlesome states.
-
God, would no one rid me of this meddlesome radiologist?
Noun
-
Valadao also said the cuts match eligibility standards for other federal assistance programs.
-
The sheriff's office reopened portions of the investigation roughly three years ago, reviewing thousands of case files and conducting interviews with Mansfield with assistance from federal and state authorities.
Verb
-
No one can match her depth and passion to get vengeance on Krem of the Yellow Hills for messing with her family — a sentiment Cancers understand.
-
Marilyn, Nixon, the Kennedys, Bay of Pigs—we’ve seen Ellroy messing with this material long before the Quintet.
Adjective
-
Lee will play Maya, the officious Chief of Staff for the Governor of Oklahoma.
-
Her Southern accent is slightly clipped and officious, the type of drawl that’s a stamp of a suburban upbringing.
Noun
-
New voices, new philosophies, new ways of teaching and new sets of data to parse through.
-
At the same meeting, the school board will take up a vote to rewrite the state’s social studies curriculum, focusing more on Texas and US history and deemphasizing some teachings about global history and cultures.
Cite this Entry
“Meddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meddling. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
