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
  • Residents described idling in traffic as roads became jammed with evacuees.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Not only that, unnecessary idling isn’t exactly great for your car’s engine.
    — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of idling
Verb
  • 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
  • The pair had been loafing for some time among a grove of apple trees on a private residence in Payson.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 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
  • Also, don’t get too out of control horsing around with friends in the water.
    — John Natale, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026
  • After horsing around, peruse the quilt displays, agriculture exhibits and arts-and-crafts competitions.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of horsing around
Verb
  • Most recently, Céline Dion, Lucy Hale, and Sofia Richie Grainge were spotted in matching ensembles for outdoor activities, casual outings, and lounging at home.
    — Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Made with a buttery-soft, lightweight fabric, these comfy pants will make lounging on the couch watching Halloween movies even better thanks to a $25 sale price.
    — Melony Forcier, InStyle, 22 Aug. 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 28 Aug. 2026.

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