tweak

[ tweek ]

/ twik /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tweak ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to pinch and pull with a jerk and twist: to tweak someone's ear; to tweak someone's nose.

to pull or pinch the nose of, especially gently: He tweaked the baby on greeting.

to make a minor adjustment to: to tweak a computer program.

noun

an act or instance of tweaking; a sharp, twisting pull or jerk.

RELATED WORDS

twist, tease, pinch, jerk, pluck, pull

Nearby words

Origin of tweak

First recorded in 1595–1605; akin to twitch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tweaking

Some states are now tweaking the standards and dumping the “Common Core” label.
The Incredibly Stupid War on the Common Core|Charles Upton Sahm|April 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tweaking the Clintons may help win over Republicans for a presidential bid.
Rand Paul Woos the Base With Hot Monica Lewinsky Talk|Michael Tomasky|February 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What were some big Cameron suggestions that led to you tweaking your films?
Guillermo Del Toro on ‘Cabinet of Curiosities,’ Collaborating with Kanye West, and More|Marlow Stern|November 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
For them, tweaking the game, making play as exciting as possible, is a quest in itself.
A Game Called The Tribez: Inside the City-Building Behemoth|Alec Kubas-Meyer|October 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Studios are also tweaking their films to make them more Chinese-friendly.
What’s Behind Hollywood’s Asian Flirtation? China’s Box Office|Marlow Stern|August 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
For Samuel had hold of his ear, and was tweaking it sharply.
The Stokesley Secret|Charlotte M. Yonge
At last she lit on the side of a thistle, and tweaking out a fibre, flew with it to the nest.
Birds Illustrated by Color Photography, Vol. II., No. 5, November 1897|Various
At last she lit on the side of a thistle, and tweaking out a fibre flew with it to the nest.
A-Birding on a Bronco|Florence A. Merriam
She found him working the ride, Hilda back in the maintenance bay, tweaking some of the robots.
Makers|Cory Doctorow
"It's just a progressive Christmas pah'ty, grandfathah," she explained, tweaking his ear as she talked.
The Little Colonel's Christmas Vacation|Annie Fellows Johnston

British Dictionary definitions for tweaking

tweak

/ (twiːk) /

verb (tr)

to twist, jerk, or pinch with a sharp or sudden movementto tweak someone's nose

motor racing slang to tune (a car or engine) for peak performance

informal to make a minor alteration

noun

an instance of tweaking

informal a minor alteration

Derived Formstweaky, adjective

Word Origin for tweak

Old English twiccian; related to Old High German zwecchōn; see twitch

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for tweaking

tweak

"pinch, pluck, twist," usually to the nose, probably from Old English twiccian "to pluck," of obscure origin; perhaps related to twitch. Meaning "to make fine adjustments" is attested from 1966. Related: Tweaked; tweaking. The noun in this sense is recorded by 1989.