tinkering

verb

present participle of tinker
as in diddling (with)

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinkering
  1. idling
  2. loafing
  3. dawdling
  4. horsing around
  5. lounging
  6. doodling
Verb
  • Video of the confrontation appears to show Nelson idling in a snowy strip mall parking lot in his gray Dodge Ram when another driver in an even larger pickup pulls in beside him.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • One aspect that contributed to the gridlock was a number of Waymo's self-driving robotaxis idling on the road as traffic officials tried to remedy the halt in traffic.
    — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of idling
Verb
  • Martin removed his right fielder for loafing on a ball hit to the outfield.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
  • Kids who used to run to the field excited to play, suddenly started loafing to the field wearing their crocs with their heads buried in their phones.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Definition of loafing
Verb
  • Indeed, Ederson has moments where he can be caught dawdling with the ball, hoping for an opening that doesn’t always arrive.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026
  • Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Definition of dawdling
Verb
  • Bevel was horsing around with the Reverend James Orange and Andy Young in the courtyard under King's balcony, according to Orange.
    — Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
  • In April 2020, Iglesias shared a video of him horsing around with Lucy and Nicholas as the pair attempted to climb on his back for a ride.
    — Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Definition of horsing around
Verb
  • For everyday wear, a linen short and linen shirt combo is the perfect set for lounging at home or running errands.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • Getting the perfect shot of a lounging leopard seal or an emperor penguin posing in Antarctica is a photographer’s dream come true.
    — Kristen E. Pope, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026
Definition of lounging
Verb
  • While some might show their boredom by doodling on paper or playing on their phone, this pilot took his message to new heights – roughly 1,100 feet (335 meters).
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • Art therapy isn’t just finger painting and doodling.
    — Hannah Silverman, Parents, 17 June 2026
Definition of doodling
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.

Browse Nearby Words

tinkerers
tinkering
tinkering (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Tinkering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinkering. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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