fiddle with (something)

fiddle with (something)

To play or tinker with something. Hey, don't fiddle with the thermostat—it needs to stay at 68 degrees. Grandpa's still fiddling with that old radio, but I doubt he'll get it to work again. I wish I hadn't started fiddling with the settings on my computer. It's all messed up now!

See also: fiddle

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

fiddle with someone or something

to tinker or play with someone or something. Please don't fiddle with the stereo controls. Leave your brother alone. Don't fiddle with him. He's cranky.

See also: fiddle

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

fiddle with

v.

1. To make unskilled or experimental efforts at repairing or improving something: I fiddled with the broken toaster, but I couldn't fix it.

2. To manipulate something without a clear sense of purpose: Stop fiddling with the remote or you'll break it.

See also: fiddle

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.