What is another word for tinkering?

There are many words you could use depending on the context of "tinkering." Here are some options:

General:

* Fiddling

* Muddling

* Dabbling

* Pottering

* Fooling around

* Playing around

* Experimenting

* Working on

* Fixing

More specific:

* Repairing (if you're fixing something)

* Modifying (if you're changing something)

* Improving (if you're making something better)

* Creating (if you're making something new)

* Building (if you're constructing something)

More informal:

* messing about

* monkeying around

To get a more precise word, tell me:

* What is being tinkered with? (A machine, a piece of furniture, a recipe, etc.)

* What is the goal of the tinkering? (To fix something, to improve it, to make something new, etc.)

For example, if you're "tinkering" with a car engine to make it more powerful, you might say you're "modifying" or "improving" it. If you're "tinkering" with a recipe to make it tastier, you might say you're "experimenting" or "playing around" with it.