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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Recent Examples of tweaking
Anil Jain, global managing director at Google Cloud, said that these tools can do both simple functions like tweaking a scene’s background, or achieve more complex tasks, like creating promotional material.
—
Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
After slightly tweaking its language, the council’s Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee approved sending the ordinance to the full council for a final vote on Thursday.
—Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026
The airline is also tweaking its basic economy policy.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Boone said that Carlos Rodón threw again Wednesday after tweaking his hamstring on Monday.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
And just like natural hormone swings can throw your sleep off-kilter, so too can tweaking your hormonal BC, for instance shifting to a different combination pill or to or from a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD).
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 24 Mar. 2026
Jumanji 3 is tweaking its year-end holiday release plans.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Try tweaking your routine in more slight and subtle ways, like showering with cooler water than usual.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
Workers have been installing and tweaking new LED lights on Reunion Tower, March 19, 2026.
—Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
After slightly tweaking its language, the council’s Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee approved sending the ordinance to the full council for a final vote on Thursday.
—Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026
The airline is also tweaking its basic economy policy.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Boone said that Carlos Rodón threw again Wednesday after tweaking his hamstring on Monday.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
And just like natural hormone swings can throw your sleep off-kilter, so too can tweaking your hormonal BC, for instance shifting to a different combination pill or to or from a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD).
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 24 Mar. 2026
Jumanji 3 is tweaking its year-end holiday release plans.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Try tweaking your routine in more slight and subtle ways, like showering with cooler water than usual.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
Workers have been installing and tweaking new LED lights on Reunion Tower, March 19, 2026.
—Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tweaking
Verb
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Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Afternoon Ben Thanh Market is Hồ Chí Minh’s biggest market – a vast maze of 1,500 stalls selling everything from still-twitching fish to electronics and souvenirs.—
Tamara Hinson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hathaway, who drew on the star power she’s accumulated over the past 20 years, credited the film’s producers for quickly adjusting to her request.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
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While some people turn to melatonin or prescription sleep aids, research suggests that adjusting your diet may help support better rest.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When Suzanna, a fledgling psychologist, tells, at Max’s urging, a mocking anecdote about one of her young clients, neither Becky nor the sensitive Andrew get the laugh.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
6 Apr. 2026
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Talkative characters like the froggish Mallow and even Bowser himself are motor-mouthed and sarcastic, nigglingly mocking Mario for his inability to speak in anything other than nods and pantomimes.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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First, a mathematical operation known as the Schur pinching channel reorganizes the system into a simpler, diagonal form—something closer to classical data that is easier to handle.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
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The spandex-blend material is ultra-stretchy, and there’s no unpleasant digging or pinching courtesy of the zipper- and button-free design.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
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The cinematographer is Börres Weiffenbach, with editing by Christian Büttiker and Audrey Maurion.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Since then, Earle has been teasing her response to Cooper online.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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Downey said, teasing the crowd that gave him a standing ovation during his entrance.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Structure information summary Most structures in this region are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 Apr. 2026
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The starts were violent, ground-shaking and painfully loud.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The brothers originally developed SafeWrap for hospitals and psychiatric patients, later modifying it for law enforcement's use of force encounters nationwide.—
Janay Reece,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The liberals on the County Board of Supervisors are floating the idea of modifying its policy on reserves so as to make a substantial portion of this money available for ongoing operational expenses.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tweaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tweaking. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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