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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
  • Working with Nic was like driving a Lamborghini that could shift from unbreakable speed to idling like a purring lioness.
    — Griffin Dunne, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
  • If drivers are caught idling, a picture of their license plate will be taken and they will be charged a $100 fine.
    — Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 9 Sep. 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
  • Up top, a large rooftop deck is the star of the show, offering plenty of space for lounging or entertaining with a beautiful backdrop.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Deutch can be seen lounging around a Tribeca loft, layering T-shirts and knits and stepping out in the trench.
    — Angela Tafoya, Vogue, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of lounging
Verb
  • The whole thing plays like something concocted by an 8th grader sitting in the back of biology class and doodling movie ideas in his notebook, offering more proof that Besson has never quite risen above the juvenile tendencies of his early years.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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 17 Sep. 2026.

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