Phrasal verb
fool with
Definition
phrasal verb. to play with something in a careless way or to waste time on something that is not important.
phrasal verb. to handle something idly or meddle with a mechanism; can also mean to engage in casual or aimless activity with a person or object.
Examples
“Don't fool with the thermostat or the house will get too hot.”
“He spent the whole afternoon fooling with his old car engine but couldn't get it to start.”
“The technician warned the staff not to fool with the calibration settings, as even a minor adjustment could compromise the entire experiment.”
Examples
simple
“Don't fool with the thermostat or the house will get too hot.”
contextual
“He spent the whole afternoon fooling with his old car engine but couldn't get it to start.”
complex
“The technician warned the staff not to fool with the calibration settings, as even a minor adjustment could compromise the entire experiment.”
Usage
often used as a warning or to describe unproductive behavior.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'mess with' which is more common in modern speech; 'fool with' can imply a lack of seriousness or expertise.
Pitfall
He is fooling with of the radio.
He is fooling with the radio.
the preposition 'with' is the only particle needed before the object; do not add 'of'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
with
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
fool + with + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fool-with