as in busy
thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited
the bride's parents promised that they would never be meddling in-laws
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in interference
Related Words
as in interfering
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
please stop meddling in your sister's marriage, even though you mean well
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of meddling
Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
Julia Kimani-Burnham, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Craig basically blames this breakup on Salley meddling in their business.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
The statement also contained a warning to Iran regarding its meddling in the conflict.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Frustration at Iran’s meddling in other countries Still, Ozcelik noted the potentially violent backlash could be tempered by growing frustration, even among Shiite populations, at Iran’s meddling in other countries’ affairs.
—Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Google has not been banned outright, though Google Maps is sometimes disrupted by government meddling.
—Sophie Spiegelberger, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026
Thus the grab-bag approach of anything that might sniff of cost-reduction, including price controls and market meddling.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
In the Tokyo context, it’s believed that silence on such matters actually helps to protect the BOJ from political meddling.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
That perspective is understandable, given decades of foreign meddling in Africa.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Meet the next generation of meddling kids.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
But recently, the federal government started meddling.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 25 Feb. 2026
Williams, 40, faces a whisper campaign of criticism for communication lapses, meddling in police operations, and filling jobs with former colleagues from her previous employer, Miami Beach.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
The league has enough meddling owners and microphone fiends.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
All's fair in love and war — an idiom that Cressida (second from left, played by Jessica Madsen) and her meddling mama would do well to remember while courting the Prince!
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Others have urged him to stop meddling with allies.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
That does lend itself to meddling in Central and South America.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Practical, traditional and somewhat meddling, Aunt Maysilee places importance on societal norms.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
Robert Mueller, a former FBI director who led the investigation into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, has died, his family confirmed to CBS News on Saturday.
—Julia Kimani-Burnham, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Craig basically blames this breakup on Salley meddling in their business.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
The statement also contained a warning to Iran regarding its meddling in the conflict.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Frustration at Iran’s meddling in other countries Still, Ozcelik noted the potentially violent backlash could be tempered by growing frustration, even among Shiite populations, at Iran’s meddling in other countries’ affairs.
—Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Google has not been banned outright, though Google Maps is sometimes disrupted by government meddling.
—Sophie Spiegelberger, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026
Thus the grab-bag approach of anything that might sniff of cost-reduction, including price controls and market meddling.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
In the Tokyo context, it’s believed that silence on such matters actually helps to protect the BOJ from political meddling.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
That perspective is understandable, given decades of foreign meddling in Africa.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
The sparks between them are obvious, and Appa, the soul of indiscretion, can’t help meddling in his overbearing way.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Meet the next generation of meddling kids.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
But recently, the federal government started meddling.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 25 Feb. 2026
Williams, 40, faces a whisper campaign of criticism for communication lapses, meddling in police operations, and filling jobs with former colleagues from her previous employer, Miami Beach.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
The league has enough meddling owners and microphone fiends.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
All's fair in love and war — an idiom that Cressida (second from left, played by Jessica Madsen) and her meddling mama would do well to remember while courting the Prince!
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Others have urged him to stop meddling with allies.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
That does lend itself to meddling in Central and South America.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meddling
Adjective
-
With busy schedules, sitting down to eat a meal as a family can be tricky and cause feelings of guilt.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Each carried one passenger in the back seat, all of them busy on their phones.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cotter received a two-minute penalty for goaltender interference, and Shesterkin and Markström were given two-minute penalties for leaving the crease and five minutes for fighting.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
After a scoreless first period, Jared Wright nearly put the Kings ahead midway through the second, but his goal was waved off for goaltender interference.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The next shower to peak is the Eta Aquariids on May 5-6, when sky-gazers can expect to see less than 10 meteors per hour because of the interfering moonlight, according to the American Meteor Society.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Bonta filed an emergency petition with the state Fourth Court of Appeals on Monday to stop Bianco, a candidate in the 2026 governor’s race, after Bianco seized 657,322 ballots and accused Bonta of interfering in his office’s investigation into voter fraud.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The bill carves out a number of exceptions, including for people providing medical assistance or helping law enforcement.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Features like heart rate sensing and hearing assistance add a layer of everyday usefulness, and the seamless Bluetooth pairing keeps things simple across devices.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But now, with its Major League Baseball opening night rights, the streamer is messing with the wrong fan base.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Tulane’s other big contingent, activist investors, have been a bit defanged by AI, which is messing with companies’ strategies and their ability to credibly critique them.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The fact is, in a newsroom full of meddlesome, sometimes pushy people, Beverly was none of that.—
Brad Schmitt,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The special ops unit chases every lead possible, from bribes to Mexican drug cartels, a meddlesome L.A. District Attorney (Merrick McCartha) and corruption in the government of Belarus.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Wallenberg teaches ninth through twelfth grade and is in her 50th year of teaching.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The creative decision also mirrors the experience of doctors, nurses and students within a teaching hospital, which often includes a revolving door of staff.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When Sonny eventually passes out, Chee starts doing some snooping around.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Thornton, a vice president of strategic communications who has worked downtown for 17 years, including a decade with AIMCLEAR, was no stranger to snooping on behalf of his colleagues and his employer.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Meddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meddling. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
