as in amateur
a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than as a profession
he's been tinkering with cars since he was a kid, and now he's a tinkerer who knows nearly as much as a mechanic
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Recent Examples of tinkerer
Cronenworth has always been quite the worker and quite the tinkerer in the cage.
—
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Rather than targeting end users, the company aims to empower developers, researchers, and tinkerers to create breakthrough humanoid applications without building full robots from scratch.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
Dedicated sports engineers and tinkerers alike continue to fine tune specialized skate designs.
—Mark Hay, Popular Science, 28 Jan. 2026
Blanc, who lived in Des Moines, Iowa, wasn’t the first tinkerer to try unclogging drains by running a cable through pipes.
—Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2026
Micron’s Crucial brand sold memory on sticks that tinkerers could use to build their own PCs or upgrade their laptops.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025
The Ringbrothers Kingpin was unveiled at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show (SEMA) in Las Vegas, which is a haven for aftermarket wizards, tuners, and auto tinkerers of all stripes.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2025
How would the tinkerer-in-chief Guardiola galaxy-brain his way around this clash of styles?
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The printer works best with its own software and accessories, which could frustrate tinkerers who prefer open systems.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Rather than targeting end users, the company aims to empower developers, researchers, and tinkerers to create breakthrough humanoid applications without building full robots from scratch.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
Dedicated sports engineers and tinkerers alike continue to fine tune specialized skate designs.
—Mark Hay, Popular Science, 28 Jan. 2026
Blanc, who lived in Des Moines, Iowa, wasn’t the first tinkerer to try unclogging drains by running a cable through pipes.
—Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2026
Micron’s Crucial brand sold memory on sticks that tinkerers could use to build their own PCs or upgrade their laptops.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025
The Ringbrothers Kingpin was unveiled at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show (SEMA) in Las Vegas, which is a haven for aftermarket wizards, tuners, and auto tinkerers of all stripes.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2025
How would the tinkerer-in-chief Guardiola galaxy-brain his way around this clash of styles?
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The printer works best with its own software and accessories, which could frustrate tinkerers who prefer open systems.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinkerer
Noun
-
It was later revealed that Ibbotson, an amateur pilot, did not have a commercial licence and was not legally permitted to fly in the dark.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Asterisk Talley, the 17-year-old amateur, had a 65 and was in the group six shots behind at 10 under.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Koch is also an active hobbyist with interests spanning surfing and ice climbing to woodworking and community service, according to her official NASA bio.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
For gardeners, hobbyists and anyone interested in growing their own food, these advantages add up quickly.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The pipeline will provide up to 185,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas, an industry term that Fore admitted was difficult to explain for laymen.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
From my layman’s perspective, this seemed promising, plus the attorney seemed invested.—
Jasper Craven,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The first are the dabblers: latecomers finally spending some quality time with their chief technology officers.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Splurges: There are whiskey dabblers, and then there are serious Irish whiskey aficionados.—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tinkerer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinkerer. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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