tinkerers

plural of tinkerer
as in amateurs
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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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 tinkerers 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 On the other hand, some tinkerers have already shared details on how to keep the disabled routers working. Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 8 July 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 Unlike her earlier Fame Monster remixes, which served utilitarian club fodder to capitalize on her debut, Dawn delightfully surrendered its source material to a wise cast of pop, rap, and dance tinkerers like Ashnikko and Dorian Electra. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 4 May 2026 The Mac mini has become a status symbol among AI tinkerers, and some analysts say the device’s growing popularity may preface a broader shift in how people use computers. Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026 Rather than targeting end users, the company aims to empower developers, researchers, and tinkerers to create breakthrough humanoid applications without building full robots from scratch. Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinkerers
Noun
  • Contrary to perceptions, nonprofit workers aren’t well-meaning amateurs waiting for tech to save the day, but savvy operators with deep community knowledge and relationships that can’t simply be replicated.
    Max Simkoff, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The interior minister said that the operation did not appear to be the work of amateurs but rather had been professionally planned and executed.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Attendees range from commercial and wedding photographers to videographers, content creators, hobbyists, retirees, children and people who recently picked up their first camera.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 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

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Cite this Entry

“Tinkerers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinkerers. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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