tampering

verb

present participle of tamper
as in fiddling

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 tampering There is a growing perception that some schools are frequently tampering and that knowledge compels other schools to tamper as well to avoid being placed at a competitive disadvantage. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tampering
  1. fiddling
  2. fooling
  3. encroaching
  4. invading
  5. trespassing
  6. playing
  7. intervening
Verb
  • The original Rowdy Rooster, a slim storefront on a scrappy East Village block, closed earlier this year, menu fiddling notwithstanding.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
  • The Fed's influence on credit and the economy is minimal; credit is produced by real-world productivity, not central bank fiddling.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of fiddling
Verb
  • Throughout all the commotion, Romelu Lukaku acted as decoy, holding on to the ball, fooling everyone, including the TV producer, who pulled up a graphic showing his recent penalty record.
    — Geir Jordet, New York Times, 15 July 2026
  • Speaking on Harvard Business School’s The Founder Mindset podcast, hosted by senior lecturer and serial entrepreneur Reza Satchu, the Shark Tank investor argued that anyone trying to balance a young company against the rest of their life is fooling themselves.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 17 June 2026
Definition of fooling
Verb
  • Meanwhile, rescues and evacuations were underway in northern Minnesota, where over a dozen fires caused by lightning strikes were burning and encroaching on remote campsites.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 16 July 2026
  • Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett told lawmakers Tuesday that a sharp increase in threats targeting her and other justices is increasingly encroaching on their personal and family lives.
    — Lindsay Whitehurst, Fortune, 14 July 2026
Definition of encroaching
Verb
  • In 1982, invading Israeli forces occupied the city, withdrawing three years later.
    — Jane Arraf, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026
  • And, on the other other hand, warmer winters could accelerate the northward spread of pine processionary caterpillars, which are already invading southern Germany.
    — Ben Crair, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
Definition of invading
Verb
  • The area along the Cumberland River where more than 100 people once lived is now encircled by fences and no-trespassing signs.
    — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 21 July 2026
  • The company sued him for trespassing on its vacant property next to his home.
    — Jena Brooker, ProPublica, 6 July 2026
Definition of trespassing
Verb
  • Even with their side trip to Utah, Memphis had four of the top seven players in minutes in Vegas, helped by playing a sixth game in the championship.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Only the two teams that make the championship game playing a sixth game, but the Heat is likely out of the mix for the championship game with two losses in Las Vegas.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Definition of playing
Verb
  • But the property hasn’t seen major construction in the intervening years.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026
  • After intervening in 1976 under President Hafez al-Assad, Syria’s military remained in Lebanon for 29 years, finally withdrawing in 2005 under Hafez’s son and successor Bashar.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of intervening

Browse Nearby Words

tampered (with)
tampering
tampering (with)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tampering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tampering. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on tampering

Nglish: Translation of tampering for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of élan

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All