Interfere or meddle (6) Crossword Clue
Answer: TAMPER (6 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Interfere or meddle" with 6 letters is "TAMPER".Tamper means to interfere with something in a way that alters, damages, or disrupts its normal functioning. It is often used in contexts where someone improperly meddles with a process, object, or situation, typically leading to negative consequences, such as tampering with evidence or machinery.
Why “Tamper” Fits
The clue asks for a verb (6) meaning “interfere or meddle.” The answer, TAMPER, fits exactly:
- Interfere or meddle: “Tamper” is a common verb meaning to interfere with something in a way that alters, damages, or improperly affects it—often secretly or without permission.
- When someone “tampers” with an object, system, or situation, they meddle in it, usually with negative or unauthorized effect.
- Direct match: The word aligns perfectly with the clue’s sense of intrusive, unwelcome interference and matches the required six-letter enumeration, making TAMPER an exact semantic and structural fit.
“Tamper” is widely used in legal, technical, and everyday contexts:
- Origin and usage: In modern English, to tamper with something means to handle or change it improperly—examples include “tamper with evidence,” “tamper with a meter,” or “tamper with the settings.”
- It strongly implies meddling where one shouldn’t, often with dishonest or harmful intent.
- Examples: Phrases like “The data may have been tampered with,” “Do not tamper with the controls,” or “He was charged with attempting to tamper with the jury” all show the verb used for improper interference or meddling.
In quick crosswords, clues like “Interfere or meddle (6)”:
- Point toward verbs meaning intrusive interference, where “tamper (with)” is the standard, idiomatic choice.
- The answer structure (6) fits TAMPER perfectly; alternatives such as “meddle” also have six letters, but “tamper” is the more precise match when interference suggests altering or messing with something, especially in formal or semi-formal contexts.
- Recognising that “interfere or meddle” often appears in legal and warning contexts (“Do not tamper with…”) leads naturally to TAMPER as the correct solution.
