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]
-
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.
“If I have instincts I feel are right, I don’t want anyone to tamper with them,” he told After Dark magazine in 1973.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026
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
"We ask visitors not to tamper with any art on display," they added.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2025
A sectional understanding had emerged whereby northern states had agreed not to tamper with the property rights of southern states.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
