From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmeddlemed‧dle /ˈmedl/ verb [intransitive] 1 INTERFEREto deliberately try to influence or change a situation that does not concern you, or that you do not understand SYN interferemeddle in I don’t like other people meddling in the way I run this prison. He accused the US of meddling in China’s internal affairs.meddle with I’m not the sort of newspaper owner who meddles with editorial policy.2 TOUCH British English to touch something which you should not touch, especially in a careless way that might break itmeddle with You have no right to come in here meddling with my things. —meddler noun [countable] —meddling noun [uncountable] —meddling adjective [only before noun] meddling politicians→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
meddle• Nobody helped anybody, nobody meddled.• Since the mid-1990s, the censors have meddled a great deal more.• Of course we should not endlessly meddle and interfere with the electricity industry in Northern Ireland.• Church leaders shouldn't meddle in politics.• Or a man who meddled in the black arts?• But to see, to meddle, to intrude, that was Lionel all over.• To them, she appeared an interfering busybody, a pushy incomer meddling with their heritage.• Most of us don't know our neighbors well enough to meddle with their lives.meddling ... affairs• Gelbard in turn was accused by the government of meddling in national affairs.• And if you didn't insist on meddling in large affairs that affect the globe, you would actually be charming.Origin meddle (1200-1300) Old French mesler, medler, from Latin miscere “to mix” 