tinkered

verb

past tense of tinker
as in diddled (with)

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinkered
  1. idled
  2. dawdled
  3. lounged
  4. doodled
  5. dallied
Verb
  • The show’s characters idled away their time watching programs like Years of Our Days to Live.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • In fact, Airbus was collecting orders and making deliveries while Boeing idled due to the bans and delays imposed by the CAAC.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Definition of idled
Verb
  • But, lucky for anyone who dawdled, many of the deals are still active.
    — Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 June 2026
  • Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.
    — Thomas Black, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2025
Definition of dawdled
Verb
  • In the living room, a tabby cat with a clipped ear lounged on a velvet couch, her front paws propping open an illustrated catalogue of military aircraft.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
  • The couple giggled between kisses and lounged on a red-and-white picnic blanket while overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
    — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026
Definition of lounged
Verb
  • His cardboard sign is written in marker pen, a tiny Chivas shirt doodled in its corner.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • Koch bobbed by again, this time with glasses and a Harry Potter lightning bolt doodled on her face.
    — Michael Tedder, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2026
Definition of doodled
Verb
  • The full-backs, meanwhile, took their time from throw-ins, ensuring team-mates behind the ball were secure and Emiliano Martinez, who produced a second spellbinding save in as many visits to Nottingham, dallied from goal kicks.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Definition of dallied
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

tinker
tinkered
tinkered (with)
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Cite this Entry

“Tinkered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinkered. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tinkered

Nglish: Translation of tinkered for Spanish Speakers

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