1
as in twitching
to grasp and move with a small forceful motion
Hey, you tweaked my nose!
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2
as in adjusting
to make small adjustments to
You can tweak the settings to customize the display. He spent considerable time tweaking the recipe.
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3
as in mocking
to make (someone or something) the object of criticism, amusement, or laughter
They're always tweaking me about my northern accent.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tweaking
Some of the highest-impact ideas call for major state intervention — tweaking income tax rates, taxing services like accounting or landscaping, restructuring electricity tax rates and changing debt collection policies — that has so far been difficult for Johnson’s team to land.
—
A.d. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
Last Thursday, a report emerged that Major League Baseball’s most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement proposal to the players association included eliminating high school players from upcoming drafts, cutting the length from 20 to 12 rounds and tweaking the format of the international draft.
—
Hunter Delauder,
AJC.com,
25 June 2026
If that’s the case, the team should be focused on tweaking its scouting and developmental pipeline instead of throwing this pick away in an unbalanced deal.
—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
The 28-year-old quarterback has dedicated much of the offseason to tweaking his footwork — putting his left foot in front of his right from the shotgun, against traditional NFL form — to fit Los Angeles’ new offensive coordinator’s scheme.
—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
The Simpsons went for the three-peat the next year, when those two teams returned to the big game, tweaking a few lines to reflect the rematch.
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Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
After tweaking its original proposal, the Overland Park City Council might consider changes to Black & Veatch’s tax incentive requests to help fund the multibillion-dollar development next month.
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Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Historically, that has meant tweaking a prescription drug to accommodate the needs of patients who had an allergy to an ingredient, or who couldn't swallow a pill.
—
Daniel Gilbert,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Blue Origin spent 10 months tweaking the vehicle to guarantee a successful booster landing, and New Glenn’s second launch in November 2025 seemingly went off without a hitch.
—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
A.d. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
Last Thursday, a report emerged that Major League Baseball’s most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement proposal to the players association included eliminating high school players from upcoming drafts, cutting the length from 20 to 12 rounds and tweaking the format of the international draft.
—
Hunter Delauder,
AJC.com,
25 June 2026
If that’s the case, the team should be focused on tweaking its scouting and developmental pipeline instead of throwing this pick away in an unbalanced deal.
—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
The 28-year-old quarterback has dedicated much of the offseason to tweaking his footwork — putting his left foot in front of his right from the shotgun, against traditional NFL form — to fit Los Angeles’ new offensive coordinator’s scheme.
—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
The Simpsons went for the three-peat the next year, when those two teams returned to the big game, tweaking a few lines to reflect the rematch.
—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
After tweaking its original proposal, the Overland Park City Council might consider changes to Black & Veatch’s tax incentive requests to help fund the multibillion-dollar development next month.
—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Historically, that has meant tweaking a prescription drug to accommodate the needs of patients who had an allergy to an ingredient, or who couldn't swallow a pill.
—
Daniel Gilbert,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Blue Origin spent 10 months tweaking the vehicle to guarantee a successful booster landing, and New Glenn’s second launch in November 2025 seemingly went off without a hitch.
—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tweaking
Verb
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There is something cultish about that idea — the player who tends not to start but has the knack to appear later on with antennae twitching, ready to seize the day and alter the course of a match.
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Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.
Verb
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Adamala’s team fiddled with their cellular brew, switching genes in and out and adjusting concentrations of various molecules, to get the crucial information-carrying and protein-making genetic systems to jibe.
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Consider adjusting commission rates based on the type of sale.
Verb
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Second lady Usha Vance mocking The New York Times for reading political significance into her Old Navy maternity dress and the New York Knicks celebrating their NBA title were featured in last week's News Quiz.
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This patriotic anthem of the American Revolution originated as a favorite tune of British soldiers, who enjoyed its lyrics mocking American colonists.
Verb
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Starting along short side of rectangle, lay 4 pieces of pepperoni side by side, half-inch apart, and roll into tight cylinder, pinching seam to seal.
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Each arm has two finger-like pinching grippers that resemble the hands of a Lego mini figure.
Verb
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Sometimes those editing swings make sense, like incorporating more social-media posts and group chats, but other times the stylistic choices simply perplex.
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Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process.
Verb
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The pop singer has been teasing her return to music over the past few weeks with cryptic posts on social media featuring various images accompanied locations, dates and times.
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Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, took over as chief executive of Relativity a little more than a year ago, teasing new areas of focus such as orbital data centers, philanthropic space science ventures, and national security missions.
Verb
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This tournament has built credibility by showcasing teams competing at a high level, then shaking hands afterward.
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An earth-shaking roar The World Cup finally arrived in Kansas City after several years of preparation and anticipation.
Verb
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The report’s authors recommend modifying the fence sections so that there is a large animal jump at least every 1,000 feet, along with ground openings for small mammals every 500 feet.
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The companies are also modifying the electrical characteristics of the devices in other ways.
Cite this Entry
“Tweaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tweaking. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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