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.
Law enforcement on Tuesday released photos and video of a masked individual appearing to tamper with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door on the morning of her disappearance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
There’s no worrying about that now that teams can tamper with the balls again.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025
The e-passport includes a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.
From BBC • Oct. 31, 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
“They chose to tamper with fate,” Ultima answered.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
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.
