fiddle with
phrasal verb
fiddled with; fiddling with; fiddles with
1
: to move or handle (something) with the hands or fingers in a nervous way
She was nervously fiddling with her pencil as she waited for the test to start.
2
: to change or handle (something, such as the controls of a machine) in a way that shows one is not sure what to do
He was fiddling with the controls of the television, trying to get it to work.
3
: to change (something) in a harmful or foolish way
It became clear that someone had fiddled with the equipment.
Examples of fiddle with in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
My former partner loved to cook, to fiddle with flavors, etc.
—
Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025
In the broadcasting room, as a crowd of technicians fiddled with the dials around her, Aimee was on edge.
—Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2025
Multani, dressed smartly in black, and, fiddling with a thick gold pinkie ring, joined me at the table.
—Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
So why did baseball just spend spring training fiddling with a system that will not be used in a single regular-season game this year?
—Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fiddle with
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Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025
In the broadcasting room, as a crowd of technicians fiddled with the dials around her, Aimee was on edge.
—Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2025
Multani, dressed smartly in black, and, fiddling with a thick gold pinkie ring, joined me at the table.
—Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
So why did baseball just spend spring training fiddling with a system that will not be used in a single regular-season game this year?
—Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fiddle with
Cite this Entry
“Fiddle with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiddle%20with. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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