interfere

verb

ˌin-tər-ˈfir How to pronounce interfere (audio)
Definition of interferenext
as in to mess
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word interfere different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of interfere are intercede, interpose, intervene, and mediate. While all these words mean "to come or go between," interfere implies hindering.

noise interfered with my concentration

When is intercede a more appropriate choice than interfere?

The words intercede and interfere can be used in similar contexts, but intercede implies acting for an offender in begging mercy or forgiveness.

interceded on our behalf

When can interpose be used instead of interfere?

The meanings of interpose and interfere largely overlap; however, interpose often implies no more than this.

interposed herself between him and the door

Where would intervene be a reasonable alternative to interfere?

While the synonyms intervene and interfere are close in meaning, intervene may imply an occurring in space or time between two things or a stepping in to stop a conflict.

quarreled until the manager intervened

In what contexts can mediate take the place of interfere?

While in some cases nearly identical to interfere, mediate implies intervening between hostile factions.

mediated between the parties

Example Sentences

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 interfere Skip a formal meal in favor of easy-to-grab snacks that won’t interfere too much with puzzle pieces. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026 Other kids can, too, without their parents interfering on Facebook groups. — Mary Frances Ruskell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 In the next round of the study, five participants were given antibiotics before the poop pills, in an effort to keep their own natural gut bacteria from interfering. — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 This year is especially favorable because the peak lines up with a new moon, meaning there will be essentially no moonlight to interfere. — Joe Ruch, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for interfere
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interfere
  1. mess
  2. snoop
  3. intervene
  4. poke
  5. meddle
  6. intrude
Verb
  • Here’s how to bring flowers from your cutting garden indoors while keeping insects and mess out.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The only way to mess this up is to not allow yourself the opportunity to touch it again and again and again.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
Definition of mess
Verb
  • An alcoholic drink will give you a buzz, but if someone laced it with something dangerous, a new poison-snooping patch will buzz your skin to warn you.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of snoop
Verb
  • As a result, the law can’t be uniformly enforced across the country unless the Supreme Court intervenes.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The Nevada Resorts Association, which represents casinos across the state, also intervened as a party in this case and related cases.
    — Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of intervene
Verb
  • Adults’s Gen-Z characters tend to see their comforts as transient, their identities as mutable, and seriousness as an annoying obligation, all of which the second season pokes at a bit.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Most of what’s actionable comes from the signal that might be poking through.
    — Ben Gretch, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • Which of these adults will have their real estate crimes interrupted by those meddling kids and their puppy?
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Trump has continued to meddle with the Fed, including reinstating an effort on weak evidence to fire Governor Lisa Cook.
    — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of meddle
Verb
  • The coalition argues in its complaint that the rule exceeds USPS’ statutory authority, violates the Voting Rights Act and intrudes on states’ constitutional power to administer elections.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, argues that the rule exceeds executive authority, conflicts with federal law, and intrudes on states’ constitutional power to administer elections.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of intrude

Phrases Containing interfere

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Interfere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interfere. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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