tinker

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The oil giant paid the smaller company $320 million over a decade to tinker with the genetic makeup of algae to try to distill enough oil to make the venture technically viable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Waiting could pay off for people who want more in their paychecks instead of big refunds — but who don’t want to tinker with their withholdings.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 19, 2025

Policymakers are more likely to tinker around the edges until things get far uglier.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

It wasn’t until Riley left for East Carolina that he started to tinker more with the position.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2025

The island had come under repeated assault, prompting a resurfacing of Olmsted’s old anger about the compulsion of clients to tinker with his landscapes.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson