tweak

[tweek]

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.

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

Related Words for tweaking

twist, tease, pinch, jerk, pluck, pull

Examples from the Web for tweaking

Contemporary Examples of 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
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples of tweaking

"Tweaking his nose," said Captain Giles in a scandalized tone.
The Shadow-Line
Joseph Conrad
Boyd would have enjoyed this game of tweaking a wildcat's tail.
Ride Proud, Rebel!
Andre Alice Norton
For Samuel had hold of his ear, and was tweaking it sharply.
The Stokesley Secret
Charlotte M. Yonge
He was a very unsatisfactory steward and a miserable wretch besides, but I would just as soon think of tweaking his nose.
The Shadow-Line
Joseph Conrad
"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

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.