tinker
v.v. to try to fix or improve something by making small changes to it. You usually do this as a hobby or because you are curious about how it works.
v. to attempt to repair or improve something through small, experimental adjustments. Often implies a lack of professional expertise or a casual, exploratory approach.
He likes to tinker with old clocks in his garage.
The engineer spent the weekend tinkering with the engine to see if he could improve its fuel efficiency.
Rather than replacing the entire system, the technician decided to tinker with the existing software code to resolve the minor compatibility issues.
From Middle English tynkere, perhaps from Old English tincere, from tin (“tin”) + cere, as in bēocere (“beekeeper”).
Intransitive; almost always followed by the preposition 'with'.
He tinkered the radioHe tinkered with the radioTinker is an intransitive verb in this sense and requires the preposition 'with' before the object.