1
as in twitching
to grasp and move with a small forceful motion
Hey, you tweaked my nose!
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2
as in adjusting
to make small adjustments to
You can tweak the settings to customize the display. He spent considerable time tweaking the recipe.
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3
as in mocking
to make (someone or something) the object of criticism, amusement, or laughter
They're always tweaking me about my northern accent.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tweaking
But sources suggest discussions are taking place about possible measures to make the loans fairer, perhaps by tweaking interest rates.
—
The Week Uk, TheWeek, 1 Mar. 2026
While Adam is tracking toward possibly being ready for opening day following last year’s season-ending quadriceps injury, closer Robert Suarez departed to Atlanta as a free agent and Yuki Matsui’s early availability is in question after tweaking his groin.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Many have begun tweaking their operations to nudge that proportion higher.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Make a point of tweaking something small to wake up your system.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 2026
The trilayer device design also helped the researchers develop a model for their observations and further enhance power output by tweaking salt concentrations and nanopillar structures.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 20 Feb. 2026
The higher debt is, the smaller a government’s fiscal space, the wiggle room a country has to adjust its budgetary priorities, tweaking spending or tax receipts without jeopardizing economic stability.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
However, turning him into the next Weaver will be easier said than done, though the Yankees got off to a nice start by tweaking his arsenal after he was designated for assignment by the Mets last season.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
Dos Santos, who speaks four languages, has already started putting his stamp on the team by tweaking LAFC’s playing style.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
The Week Uk, TheWeek, 1 Mar. 2026
While Adam is tracking toward possibly being ready for opening day following last year’s season-ending quadriceps injury, closer Robert Suarez departed to Atlanta as a free agent and Yuki Matsui’s early availability is in question after tweaking his groin.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Many have begun tweaking their operations to nudge that proportion higher.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Make a point of tweaking something small to wake up your system.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 2026
The trilayer device design also helped the researchers develop a model for their observations and further enhance power output by tweaking salt concentrations and nanopillar structures.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 20 Feb. 2026
The higher debt is, the smaller a government’s fiscal space, the wiggle room a country has to adjust its budgetary priorities, tweaking spending or tax receipts without jeopardizing economic stability.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
However, turning him into the next Weaver will be easier said than done, though the Yankees got off to a nice start by tweaking his arsenal after he was designated for assignment by the Mets last season.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
Dos Santos, who speaks four languages, has already started putting his stamp on the team by tweaking LAFC’s playing style.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tweaking
Verb
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Levy brought the dog in dead and claimed that that the dog had a seizure and was vomiting, choking and twitching before his death.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The film uses music, the clippity-clop of hooves and twitching furry ears for her three donkeys — Palaye, Ruperto, Palomo — to surf critical acclaim on the film festival circuit to the upcoming Academy Awards.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Stepping in during the final six weeks certainly required adjusting — not just from Arenas, but also his teammates.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The company attributed the decline to Trump's tariff regime, as well as currency fluctuations and costs associated with adjusting its Porsche product strategy.—
Joseph Wilkins,Chloe Taylor,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling, who wasn’t even a first round pick in several mock drafts in January, is now routinely being projected for the top 12, with longtime analyst Dane Brugler mocking him 11th to Miami in his draft this week for the Athletic.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
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This might be the first time a film opens in theaters attached to a trailer for another movie mocking its franchise.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The best way to pick strawberries is by taking the stem between two fingers and pinching until the stem breaks, says Warner.—
Lauren Wellbank,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
-
On an iPhone, do this via the dial at the bottom of your camera instead of pinching and zooming; the former retains more quality.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Outside,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Both adopt more Google Photos editing tools, such as AI Photo Eraser.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Fans are convinced Musgraves is teasing a new album, which her fanbase has dubbed KM6.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Netflix is dishing out a second serving of A24‘s Beef, teasing a first look at the sophomore season of Lee Sung Jin‘s anthology.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Weak to light shaking has been detected and people reported feeling the tremor in several cities, including Geyserville, Kelseyville and Cloverdale according to the USGS DYFI report.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Mar. 2026
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But Bergeron was there every time his team needed a big stop, leaving the Vikings (15-7-2) shaking their heads many times.—
Matt Roy,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Previous studies have looked at how modifying road markings, like covering up a stop sign or messing with lane lines, can sometimes fool self-driving systems into veering off-course or making unwanted or dangerous maneuvers.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
26 Feb. 2026
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These combine to diminish fine lines and spur collagen production, simultaneously depuffing and modifying the condition.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tweaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tweaking. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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