as in adjustments
the act of making something slightly different
After a minor tweak, the computer seemed to run much better.
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1
as in pinches
to grasp and move with a small forceful motion
Hey, you tweaked my nose!
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2
as in adjusts
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 mocks
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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tweaks
Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 30 Jan. 2026
The defense, with a few tweaks and better fortune, probably isn’t as far off from a successful 2026 as this season’s 6-11 record suggests.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The work lives in formulation calls and small process tweaks.
—Wyles Daniel, Sacbee.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Andreypopov on freepik New research suggests that even tiny, realistic tweaks—like five more minutes of brisk walking or a modest improvement in diet—could prevent a surprising number of premature deaths.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The changes are set to fully take effect April 29, although Disney has stated some tweaks may roll out earlier.
—Todd Martens, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
Haley and the crew had to be flexible about locations, and occasionally tweaks had to be made to the script, particularly in terms of where things were set.
—Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
But amid big swings in equity markets on geopolitical headlines, macro uncertainty, and central bank interest rate policies around the world that are diverging, the classic advice to seek diversification in a portfolio and make tweaks on the margins may lead to a little extra juice in 2026 returns.
—Krysta Escobar,eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
There were also tweaks to rules on software purchasing and annual training.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2026
Under city rules, the Denver Department of Finance tweaks the minimum wage each year based on the Consumer Price Index.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 29 Dec. 2025
Check back regularly as the WJZ First Alert Weather team tweaks the forecast as new information comes in.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
But the company regularly tweaks and refines the formula, introducing new lines, being careful not to stray far from the defining characteristics of the instruments that are beloved of generations of musicians, but offering new angles on a classic product.
—New Atlas, 15 Nov. 2025
Tahoe tweaks the design of macOS's low battery alert notification.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
Although Last Rites, in franchise fashion, ramps up the intensity, tweaks things, and carves its own intense, creative narrative niche.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Central Medical in Dallas Peggy tweaks her knee playing pickleball in episode 9, and has to go to Dallas to get an MRI.
—Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
Who ought to celebrate these selection rules tweaks?
—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
These small tweaks are highly effective for improving glycemic control, Fesharaki-Zadeh said.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Health, 30 Jan. 2026
The defense, with a few tweaks and better fortune, probably isn’t as far off from a successful 2026 as this season’s 6-11 record suggests.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The work lives in formulation calls and small process tweaks.
—Wyles Daniel, Sacbee.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Andreypopov on freepik New research suggests that even tiny, realistic tweaks—like five more minutes of brisk walking or a modest improvement in diet—could prevent a surprising number of premature deaths.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The changes are set to fully take effect April 29, although Disney has stated some tweaks may roll out earlier.
—Todd Martens, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
Haley and the crew had to be flexible about locations, and occasionally tweaks had to be made to the script, particularly in terms of where things were set.
—Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
But amid big swings in equity markets on geopolitical headlines, macro uncertainty, and central bank interest rate policies around the world that are diverging, the classic advice to seek diversification in a portfolio and make tweaks on the margins may lead to a little extra juice in 2026 returns.
—Krysta Escobar,eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
There were also tweaks to rules on software purchasing and annual training.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Akinyemi continually tweaks it to become more user-friendly and efficienton the back end.
—Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2026
Under city rules, the Denver Department of Finance tweaks the minimum wage each year based on the Consumer Price Index.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 29 Dec. 2025
Check back regularly as the WJZ First Alert Weather team tweaks the forecast as new information comes in.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
But the company regularly tweaks and refines the formula, introducing new lines, being careful not to stray far from the defining characteristics of the instruments that are beloved of generations of musicians, but offering new angles on a classic product.
—New Atlas, 15 Nov. 2025
Tahoe tweaks the design of macOS's low battery alert notification.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
Although Last Rites, in franchise fashion, ramps up the intensity, tweaks things, and carves its own intense, creative narrative niche.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Central Medical in Dallas Peggy tweaks her knee playing pickleball in episode 9, and has to go to Dallas to get an MRI.
—Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
Who ought to celebrate these selection rules tweaks?
—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tweaks
Noun
-
Even the climate adjustments drew ire, since the dial automatically pulls back into the dash before any fan speed selection actually results in a change.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The old system was designed to require little driver effort to track straight, which sounds good in theory, but had the unintended consequence of making minor adjustments feel vague.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dad pinches my cheek between his first two fingers with a soppy look in his eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
-
There’s the moment Stanton’s Håkon Werle pinches the back of his son’s neck, like a cruel master bringing his dog to heel.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
When the winemaker adjusts fermentation, canopy management, or oak regimes, the kitchen adapts its pairings.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Antidepressants are known to have adverse effects that often fade as your body adjusts.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Chelsea Handler honors Rob Reiner, mocks DiCaprio's 'Titanic' vacationNeed a news break?—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
-
There, Callahan mocks him, saying that killing him won't assuage Mike of his guilt.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Third, the explicit focus on continual learning from human corrections during operation distinguishes it from models that require retraining to incorporate new behaviors.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
This is a year of course corrections and karmic turning points, and the cosmos is asking for your full participation.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Many existing image edits, however, remain online.—
Ella Chakarian,
Rolling Stone,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Thankfully, though, delight should arrive as your thoughtful edits blossom into shared success.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mykhailova teases him about being so much older than the other students in the program.—
Natalie Yahr,
jsonline.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The film teases monsters, human remains, and lost vessels without letting the audience experience the world beyond the hull.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tweaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tweaks. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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