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
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
In a bid to (sort of) preemptively defend itself against regulatory meddling, league officials earlier this month gave advisors to FCC chairman Brendan Carr a presentation designed to underscore the NFL’s commitment to over-the-air television.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 1 May 2026
Sure, all this meddling does muck up the pacing somewhat, but who cares?
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026
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
But this is a sitting legislator that’s meddling in races in the other body against an incumbent.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2026
However, life soon started meddling in her plans.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 8 May 2026
The source said the owners aren’t meddling in routine day-to-day operations.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The Italian host nation went on to win the tournament, but it was soiled by accusations of meddling from Mussolini.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Practical, traditional and somewhat meddling, Aunt Maysilee places importance on societal norms.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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
In a bid to (sort of) preemptively defend itself against regulatory meddling, league officials earlier this month gave advisors to FCC chairman Brendan Carr a presentation designed to underscore the NFL’s commitment to over-the-air television.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 1 May 2026
Sure, all this meddling does muck up the pacing somewhat, but who cares?
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
But this is a sitting legislator that’s meddling in races in the other body against an incumbent.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2026
However, life soon started meddling in her plans.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 8 May 2026
The source said the owners aren’t meddling in routine day-to-day operations.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The Italian host nation went on to win the tournament, but it was soiled by accusations of meddling from Mussolini.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meddling
Adjective
-
Visitors from around the world now regularly stop in, and Cook says that drag in her hometown has never been busier.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
From a viral sand cat to an airport explosives arrest, the Sacramento region saw a busy stretch of news in early June.—
Ruyuan Li. Summary produced by AI assistance,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Mass firings, communication freezes, political interference in the CDC’s scientific mission and a revolving door of leaders have created a challenging work environment for the CDC’s employees.—
Candice Johnson,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
-
Blocking a merger based on potential interference to newsroom decision-making, the studio warns, could allow courts to start regulating editorial outcomes in violation of the First Amendment.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The game was not yet codified, and teachers let students organize games without interfering in their play.—
Thomas Adam,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
-
She was sentenced — correctly — for interfering in an election in her county and for allowing unauthorized access to the voting equipment, not for expressing her personal opinion.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
God, would no one rid me of this meddlesome radiologist?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
The unit's playing time in those games had been limited by a combination of blowouts (wins and losses), minute restrictions (Aaron Gordon) and meddlesome minor injuries (Jamal Murray's ankle and shoulder).—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In emergency situations, dial 911 for immediate assistance.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
Leal says there are warning signs consumers should watch for when seeking immigration assistance online.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Nevertheless, taking proactive steps to deal with hair, slime, soap scum, and other things messing with your pipes can save you a major plumbing headache down the line.—
Abby Monteil,
The Spruce,
2 June 2026
-
Punisher is messing with him, and the gun goes off.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Lee will play Maya, the officious Chief of Staff for the Governor of Oklahoma.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
-
Her Southern accent is slightly clipped and officious, the type of drawl that’s a stamp of a suburban upbringing.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While his previous rosters were ready-made, this one required more teaching.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
The program combines the strengths of collaborators to enrich teaching and learning of STEM while building the workforce of the future.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meddling. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
