as in adjusting
to make small changes to (something) in order to improve the way it works or to make it exactly right
fine-tune a TV set fine-tune the temperature of the room They're fine-tuning interest rates to achieve economic growth without inflation.
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Recent Examples of fine-tuning
Basham said when the city was fine-tuning its policy around electric bike and scooter use, there was a conscious effort to not exclude people who depend on those kinds of devices for recreational enjoyment.
—
Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Jan. 2026
The county has worked for months with UCSD and Scripps researchers to absorb the protocols created by local researchers, gradually fine-tuning models so that the data that the county’s process creates matches with what has already been collected and published by the research effort.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The actors expected to spend hours fine-tuning their performances and rehearsing key scenes.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
Beyond changing her top team and fine-tuning her products, Gorin has been keen to project broader cultural messages since taking the helm.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
The appointment comes as Kenzo is fine-tuning its strategy, returning to the womenswear schedule and hiring design director Joshua Bullen.
—Vogue Business Team, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2025
In her books, Hoover is better known for delivering emotional catharsis than for fine-tuning the logic and realism of her plots.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
In the process, the team reviewed multiple samples, fine-tuning the bottle, the box, and overall packaging of Roué until all parties were satisfied.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Unlike Oppo’s sister company, OnePlus, the brand has kept its partnership with Hasselblad for fine-tuning its camera experience.
—PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Jan. 2026
The county has worked for months with UCSD and Scripps researchers to absorb the protocols created by local researchers, gradually fine-tuning models so that the data that the county’s process creates matches with what has already been collected and published by the research effort.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
The actors expected to spend hours fine-tuning their performances and rehearsing key scenes.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
Beyond changing her top team and fine-tuning her products, Gorin has been keen to project broader cultural messages since taking the helm.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
The appointment comes as Kenzo is fine-tuning its strategy, returning to the womenswear schedule and hiring design director Joshua Bullen.
—Vogue Business Team, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2025
In her books, Hoover is better known for delivering emotional catharsis than for fine-tuning the logic and realism of her plots.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
In the process, the team reviewed multiple samples, fine-tuning the bottle, the box, and overall packaging of Roué until all parties were satisfied.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Unlike Oppo’s sister company, OnePlus, the brand has kept its partnership with Hasselblad for fine-tuning its camera experience.
—PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fine-tuning
Verb
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By adjusting for variables such as smoking, physical activity and underlying health conditions, the researchers were able to isolate the specific relationship between caffeine intake and long-term brain health, SWNS noted.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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How to Stop Them Prevent grubs from taking over your yard this spring by adjusting your watering schedule.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump was expected to have a much more hands-off approach to regulating business combinations.—
Jeff Marks,Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Environmental groups and concerned countries see regulating ship fuel as the only way to realistically reduce black carbon.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Councilmember Monica Rodriguez voted against the measure, arguing the council had not done its job to reduce spending elsewhere before putting taxes on the ballot.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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The goal is to engage kids in learning about history and civic engagement while putting them on a path to potentially work in the music industry, said the department’s Chief Academic Officer Irene Parisi.—
Theo Peck-Suzuki,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What is the Powerball payout on matching 2 lottery numbers?—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
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Heading into 2026 the Red Sox look capable of at least matching last year’s club, which finished third in the AL East, made the playoffs and lost to the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card Series.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The drones fly autonomously alongside normal operations, adapting to airflow from blowers and door activity while continuing to capture inventory data.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
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One proposal for adapting the Winter Games to a warmer world is to merge the Olympics and Paralympics, although this could make the event unwieldy.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fine-tuning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fine-tuning. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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