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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Recent Examples of tinkerer
His uncle Leo, a naval engineer, noticed that his nephew was a budding tinkerer and gave him a Kodak photo-chemistry set for his sixth birthday.
—
Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
At $3,499, it is clearly not priced for small-scale tinkerers.
—Dave Altavilla, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
At $3,499, it is clearly not priced for small-scale tinkerers.
—Dave Altavilla, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinkerer
Noun
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The Northern Irishman, who clinched the title here back in 2016, leads the field alongside Team Europe Ryder Cup teammates Tyrrell Hatton and native son Shane Lowry, who triumphed in this tourney as an amateur in 2009.—
Mike Dojc,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Touchdown / Call the amateurs and cut ’em from the team.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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This printer is designed for enthusiasts who want to experiment with multicolor projects, hobbyists who want a reliable machine that keeps up with complex designs, or professionals looking for affordable prototyping tools.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
2 Sep. 2025
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For decades, Popular Science has highlighted the work of hobbyists.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In layman’s speak, the BCI , or brain-computer interface, allows Arbaugh to control a computer with his mind.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
23 Aug. 2025
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In layman’s terms: Make your business too real to ignore.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
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Not dabblers in the slave trade, tycoons of the slave trade.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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David Byrne came from Baltimore by way of Scotland, a socially awkward dabbler in conceptualist experiments with photography and a veteran of various mediocre cover bands.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tinkerer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinkerer. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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