TINKERER Synonyms: 24 Similar and Opposite Words

tinkerer

noun

Definition of tinkerer

as in amateur

a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than as a profession he's been tinkering with cars since he was a kid, and now he's a tinkerer who knows nearly as much as a mechanic

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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 tinkerer When an experiment fails, the tinkerer does not collapse emotionally. — Lintao "lt" Lu, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 In the coming months, the company plans to add more functionality and self-serve features to allow a wider range of use cases and users, eventually reaching individual tinkerers. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 21 July 2026 Enthusiasts and tinkerers alike are building their own versions using Open Source software and inexpensive hardware. — New Atlas, 18 July 2026 Amodei’s assessment of the dangers may be right or wrong, but an ad that grapples with those risks is arguably more honest than previous campaigns that present Claude as a tool for tinkerers and problem solvers. — Harry Booth, Time, 17 July 2026 Enter Eldridge Johnson, an American businessman and tinkerer who founded the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1901 amid a messy landscape of copyright battles and patent filings. — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026 On the other hand, some tinkerers have already shared details on how to keep the disabled routers working. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026 Sholes, a printer and newspaper editor, was a bit of a tinkerer. — Andrew Niemchick Britannica Editors June 17, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 June 2026 The 19th-century patent system rewarded tinkerers; corporate labs scaled systematic research; wartime partnerships mobilized national resources; and venture capital democratized risk-taking. — David H. Hsu, Fortune, 11 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinkerer

Noun

The 16-year-old New Zealand amateur successfully defends her title, closing with a 6-under 64 for her fourth win in 14 professional events.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Lydia Ko, the 2013 winner at Royal Mayfair as an amateur, was 2 under after a 69.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of amateur

Noun

As Meta glasses have become more commonplace, hobbyist programmers have been building apps to detect when smart glasses are nearby so people can steer clear of them.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
With the help of international astronomy professionals and hobbyists, the center tracked the errant upper stage for months, then gradually honed their assessments to identify potential impact locations.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of hobbyist

Noun

Any fan of the franchise will tell you that the full lore of the world crafted by Tetsuya Nomura is virtually nonsensical to explain to a layman.

— Brian Welk, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026
Hundreds of laymen, actuated solely by idle curiosity, received little more than a crick in the neck for their pains.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of layman

Noun

Supporters had campaigned for Merlin to be allowed into the Azteca to witness Mexico’s final group game — but the dabbler found his free passage impeded on Wednesday evening by FIFA regulations.

— Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 June 2026
In 1937, Stalin, himself a former dabbler in the language, reversed course on Esperanto and herded its speakers into gulags on account of its internationalist appeal.

— Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026