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
Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
In the Tokyo context, it’s believed that silence on such matters actually helps to protect the BOJ from political meddling.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
That perspective is understandable, given decades of foreign meddling in Africa.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The doctrine formulated by President James Monroe was originally aimed at opposing European meddling in the Western Hemisphere.
—Meg Kinnard, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
And yet, the theory goes, Kubrick had so masterfully embedded his clues in the film that some of them survived the posthumous meddling.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
Traditional accounts often see African elites as merely victims of external meddling.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
But Min and his fellow Democrats in the minority in the House and Senate refuse to budge and the doors of the meddling, taxing federal behemoth remain shut.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025
Many telling of the myth make clear that Prometheus only had to steal fire from Zeus because his meddling ruined it for all of us in the first place.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
All's fair in love and war — an idiom that Cressida (second from left, played by Jessica Madsen) and her meddling mama would do well to remember while courting the Prince!
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Instead of meddling in the permitting process, the president should send a recovery package to Congress to help families rebuild, Newsom said, citing a letter from a bipartisan delegation of California legislators that called for federal funding.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Others have urged him to stop meddling with allies.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
That does lend itself to meddling in Central and South America.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Jan. 2026
And Watson’s scandal and injuries compromised the Browns’ operation, leading to an awkward 2025 NFL Draft that saw the Browns draft two QBs — Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders — with Haslam meddling heavily again.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
Beyond the precincts of fiction, of course, the world has a way of meddling with such bonds.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Doris Roberts, who portrayed Ray's meddling mother Marie, died in 2016 at 90, following a stroke.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Nov. 2025
Noun
Thus the grab-bag approach of anything that might sniff of cost-reduction, including price controls and market meddling.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
In the Tokyo context, it’s believed that silence on such matters actually helps to protect the BOJ from political meddling.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
That perspective is understandable, given decades of foreign meddling in Africa.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The doctrine formulated by President James Monroe was originally aimed at opposing European meddling in the Western Hemisphere.
—Meg Kinnard, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
And yet, the theory goes, Kubrick had so masterfully embedded his clues in the film that some of them survived the posthumous meddling.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
Traditional accounts often see African elites as merely victims of external meddling.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
But Min and his fellow Democrats in the minority in the House and Senate refuse to budge and the doors of the meddling, taxing federal behemoth remain shut.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025
Many telling of the myth make clear that Prometheus only had to steal fire from Zeus because his meddling ruined it for all of us in the first place.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
The league has enough meddling owners and microphone fiends.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
All's fair in love and war — an idiom that Cressida (second from left, played by Jessica Madsen) and her meddling mama would do well to remember while courting the Prince!
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Instead of meddling in the permitting process, the president should send a recovery package to Congress to help families rebuild, Newsom said, citing a letter from a bipartisan delegation of California legislators that called for federal funding.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Others have urged him to stop meddling with allies.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
That does lend itself to meddling in Central and South America.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Jan. 2026
And Watson’s scandal and injuries compromised the Browns’ operation, leading to an awkward 2025 NFL Draft that saw the Browns draft two QBs — Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders — with Haslam meddling heavily again.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
Beyond the precincts of fiction, of course, the world has a way of meddling with such bonds.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Doris Roberts, who portrayed Ray's meddling mother Marie, died in 2016 at 90, following a stroke.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meddling
Adjective
-
China has been particularly busy, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ireland's Prime Minister Michael Martin, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Starmer all visiting Beijing this month.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
-
But Greenstein says that keeping your child’s favorite toys handy in one spot around the home where kids feel comfortable and safe can give busy parents some time (even if just a few minutes) to call a friend, make a cup of coffee, take that shower, or even do a quick workout routine.—
Jillian Pretzel,
Parents,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nanos also reportedly faced a criminal election interference investigation stemming from the matter.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
California Democrats in Congress have stressed that the state’s elections are safe and reliable, but also started to express unease about upcoming election interference by the administration.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cops also busted the security guard’s supervisor — a law enforcement officer employed by the city’s hospital system — for interfering in the guard’s arrest, sources said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Lemon is charged with conspiracy to deprive the church congregants of their rights and interfering by force with someone’s 1st Amendment rights.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
During the speech, the mayor also announced 100 free watch parties during the World Cup throughout the city, $14 million in rental assistance for Angelenos and the relaunch of the city’s House Our Vets program, which helps veterans find stable housing.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Through the online application, eligible Californians can apply, while those who prefer in-person assistance can now drop by the new walk-in site for enrollment or document submission support.—
William Jones,
Sacbee.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The effect demands a more active degree of introspection than the average documentary, and Marczak’s unwavering commitment to that endurance test approach has a powerful way of messing with viewer expectations.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
-
In reality, your body is constantly regulating them on its own, and messing with that process can be problematic.—
Rachel Reiff Ellis,
SELF,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The fact is, in a newsroom full of meddlesome, sometimes pushy people, Beverly was none of that.—
Brad Schmitt,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The special ops unit chases every lead possible, from bribes to Mexican drug cartels, a meddlesome L.A. District Attorney (Merrick McCartha) and corruption in the government of Belarus.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
While the recognition brought national attention, Stafford said accolades have never been the primary focus of his 30 years of teaching at Temple.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
For academics, historians and activists, the past year has been tumultuous in advocating the teaching of Black history in the United States.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Thornton, a vice president of strategic communications who has worked downtown for 17 years, including a decade with AIMCLEAR, was no stranger to snooping on behalf of his colleagues and his employer.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
5 Dec. 2025
-
But snooping signals a lack of trust.—
Dr. Cortney Warren,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Meddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meddling. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
