tamper with
Idioms-
Interfere or meddle, especially in a harmful way. For example, If you tamper with that lock it's sure to break . [c. 1600]
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Engage in improper or secret dealings, as in He was accused of tampering with the jury . [c. 1600]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Making open models safe, even when bad actors tamper with them, is a nascent research area.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
"With that kind of access, one can tamper with the answer-sheets, change marks or even access peoples' phone numbers and bank details," he alleged.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
The most plausible answer, of course, is that Luke’s account was finished before their deaths and no one in subsequent decades felt sufficiently bold to tamper with it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
“Utility companies have a troubling history of exploiting the chaos during and after major fires to destroy or tamper with critical evidence,” Ali Moghaddas, an attorney with Edelson PC, said in an email.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2025
I gave it up, I really didn't need to know their contents and it would not be honorable or safe to tamper with Dr. Bledsoe.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
