INTERFERING Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

interfering 1 of 2

adjective

as in busy

thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited an interfering woman by nature, she was precisely the kind of mother-in-law that every new bride dreads

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interfering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of interfere

as in messing

to interest oneself in what is not one's concern a strong resentment of outsiders who attempted to interfere with their traditional ways of doing things

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of interfering

Verb

Kris Statlander stopped Hikaru Shida from interfering near the end of the match. — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 In her role as well as elsewhere, Kalle downplays the explicit homophobia that might have rendered this a more simplistic allegory, making Asla less a figure of interfering jealousy than a woman who simply doesn’t want to be abandoned yet again. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026 The actions mark a sharp break with a US practice of handling bilateral disputes largely behind closed doors, and not openly interfering in Mexican politics. — Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 Trump recently accused China of interfering in the 2018 and 2020 elections during a primetime address. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 22 July 2026 Infantino has denied interfering in the decision-making process and said FIFA’s judicial bodies act independently. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 14 July 2026 Meanwhile, some American fans who usually hate to see suits interfering in their sports are cheering FIFA on because the decision seems like a triumph of American exceptionalism. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 There really is no bad outcome from him interfering in FIFA and World Cup matters. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026 The pivotal match itself — the semifinal encounter against hosts Uruguay — is also more convincingly depicted and dramatic, particularly for how one of the goals is assisted by an interfering policeman (incredibly, this did actually happen). — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for interfering

Adjective

The executive noted that at many busy airports, there is no room for building new terminals and hangars or extending ramp space, making acquisitions the only way to gain entry.

— Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
The micro-hotel is housed in a slate gray building on busy Avenida Revolución in the former Hotel Lafayette (the neon sign remains).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of busy

Verb

Cady had injected some narcotic into a Georgia peach to knock Natalie out ahead of his confrontation with Crystal on the houseboat, but Ray snooping around on the Bowdens’s behalf led to this deadly improvisation.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Her mother has become a fan but didn’t start out that way, unaware her high school had a soccer team until Garbowski went snooping in an old yearbook.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026

Definition of snooping

Verb

At first glance, corals present as little more than colorful rocks — piles of lobes, stalagmites, and branches poking out from the seafloor.

— Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
Carpenter suggests applying it to vertical surfaces, or using soaked cotton balls in open glass jars (or poking holes in the lids to allow the fumes to escape).

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of poking

Verb

The guardrails monitor the spacecraft’s condition and the neural network’s outputs, intervening when predefined safety limits are approached.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
In the intervening years hot chicken appeared at restaurants spanning LA to NYC, even earning a controversial spot on KFC’s menu in 2016.

— Ellen Fort, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026

Definition of intervening

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“Interfering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interfering. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of interfering

adjective

verb

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