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
The tinkerer was a socialite and widow named Josephine Cochrane.
—
Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
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
Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinkerer
Noun
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Even if reaching the fairway on the par-5 13th from the tee, amateurs still face 390 yards to the green for the second shot.—
Scott Kramer,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Clay was an 18-year-old amateur then, the Louisville golden boy who’d already captured eight regional Golden Gloves and two nationals.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Even hobbyists are investing in online classes for music, photography, or language learning.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
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
Noun
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In laymen’s terms, said Peterson, the city was relying on $37 million in temporary American Rescue Plan Act pandemic relief funding for recurring programs and initiatives, and redirecting funding from one fund to another.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
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In layman’s terms that means the period cycles app on your watch and phone, the ECG monitor on your watch, the app that measures your blood oxygen levels…the list goes on.—
Natasha Pearlman,
Glamour,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Not dabblers in the slave trade, tycoons of the slave trade.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
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 18 Sep. 2025.
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