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.
"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
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
Both antibiotics tamper with bacteria's ability to make new proteins by specifically targeting their ribosomes.
From Science Daily • Nov. 29, 2024
“It seems I’m going to have to tamper with your memory.”
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
