tamper
To touch or change something you should not, often causing damage.
tamper in a sentence
- Someone had tampered with the lock, and now the shed door swung open.
- 'Do not tamper with the smoke alarm,' warned Dad, 'or it won't work when we really need it.'
Words that mean something similar
meddle, fiddle, interfere
Careful: tamper is not meddle
You meddle in other people's business. You tamper with things. Read why children mix them up.
More words about behaviour & manners
- tantrum: A sudden burst of angry, childish behaviour.
- traitor: Someone who betrays their friends, team or country.
- uncouth: Rude and bad-mannered.
- unorthodox: Unusual and different from the normal way of doing things.
- unruly: Wild and difficult to control.
- uphold: To support or defend something, such as a rule or belief.
- vile: Extremely unpleasant or nasty.
- volatile: Likely to change suddenly, often for the worse.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test