twinkled; twinkling
ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to shine with a flickering or sparkling light : scintillate
2
a
: to appear bright especially with merriment
his eyes twinkled
b
: to flutter the eyelids
3
: to flutter or flit rapidly
1
: to cause to shine with fluctuating light
2
: to flicker or flirt rapidly
twinkled the straight, red-lacquered toes—
Glenway Wescott
Glenway Wescott2
: a rapid flashing motion : flit
3
: a wink of the eyelids
4
: the instant's duration of a wink : twinkling
Synonyms
Examples of twinkle in a Sentence
Verb
The lights of the city twinkled in the distance.
Stars twinkle in the night sky.
Her eyes twinkled with excitement.
Noun
We saw the twinkle of a candle in the window.
in just a twinkle, the shooting star was gone
Recent Examples on the WebThe Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
For the ultimate viewing party, head to Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Cheval Blanc Paris near Pont Neuf, whose seventh-floor panoramic terrace, Le Tout-Paris, shows off sweeping shots of the Seine and twinkling Eiffel Tower.
—Lane Nieset, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
In the entry, fairies dance amid the twinkling lights of a sculpture/chandelier made from roots, branches and LEDs.
—Debbie Arrington, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024
In a video teaser shared Dec. 18, Gosling and Ronson were seen working behind a mixing board in a studio decorated with a twinkling Christmas tree while others don Santa hats.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 20 Dec. 2023
Head to Amazon to shop more outdoor spring decor, then keep scrolling for twinkling pastel lights, on-sale outdoor pillows, and Easter wreaths.
—Melissa Epifano, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024
Randy, with his infectious grin, twinkling eyes, warm handshake, and rote recitation of Japanese garden symbology, was not condemned for a string of killings but rather for leading a death squad one summer night in 1987.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 12 Mar. 2024
Today, Lenker’s grin twinkles with a permanent gold replacement.
—Jeremy Gordon, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
Fittingly, the track harkens back to that late-90s/turn-of-the-millenium sound, with a somber, twinkling guitar weeping behind booming pop production.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024
Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Apr. 2024
By night, the street lights twinkle in the oversized windows, reflecting against a moody interior that feels personal and homey.
—Jillian Dara, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Hot pink and teal dominate her living room, which is decorated with quirky decor like dangling twinkle lights and a houseplant growing from a corn on the cob vase.
—Kara Peeler, Sunset Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
His prosthetic eye twinkles, damaged from the siege of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, one of the more savage battles of the invasion’s first three months.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024
Back in 2017, before the SEC climate rule was even a twinkle in Gary Gensler’s eye, Walmart launched Project Gigaton, an ambitious project to eliminate one gigaton of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by 2030.
—Courtney Vien, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2024
The next day, the stoner, Saul Durand (Jovan Adepo), chalks the experience up to an elaborate hoax; the rest of the world also saw the stars twinkle in code, but the celestial blinks went undetected by Earth’s most powerful telescopes.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
There are eight lighting modes (combination, sequential, in waves, slow glow, chasing/flash, slow fade, twinkle, and steady on) that turn the tree into a fantastical light display.
—Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2023
Engage all your senses Set the mood with lighting: Consider adding a small lamp or even twinkle lights to create an intimate atmosphere.
—Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2024
Verb
Of the trio of bars that share an address on Second Street, Ghost Donkey is the most low key with string lights twinkling and fading between red and purple over cozy booths and bar seating.
—The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
For the ultimate viewing party, head to Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Cheval Blanc Paris near Pont Neuf, whose seventh-floor panoramic terrace, Le Tout-Paris, shows off sweeping shots of the Seine and twinkling Eiffel Tower.
—Lane Nieset, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
In the entry, fairies dance amid the twinkling lights of a sculpture/chandelier made from roots, branches and LEDs.
—Debbie Arrington, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024
In a video teaser shared Dec. 18, Gosling and Ronson were seen working behind a mixing board in a studio decorated with a twinkling Christmas tree while others don Santa hats.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 20 Dec. 2023
Head to Amazon to shop more outdoor spring decor, then keep scrolling for twinkling pastel lights, on-sale outdoor pillows, and Easter wreaths.
—Melissa Epifano, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024
Randy, with his infectious grin, twinkling eyes, warm handshake, and rote recitation of Japanese garden symbology, was not condemned for a string of killings but rather for leading a death squad one summer night in 1987.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 12 Mar. 2024
Today, Lenker’s grin twinkles with a permanent gold replacement.
—Jeremy Gordon, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
Fittingly, the track harkens back to that late-90s/turn-of-the-millenium sound, with a somber, twinkling guitar weeping behind booming pop production.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Extremely versatile and easy to wrap around just about anything, these waterproof lights feature eight lighting modes, including fireflies, flashing, fading, chasing, flashing, fading slowly, twinkle, and steady-on.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Apr. 2024
By night, the street lights twinkle in the oversized windows, reflecting against a moody interior that feels personal and homey.
—Jillian Dara, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Hot pink and teal dominate her living room, which is decorated with quirky decor like dangling twinkle lights and a houseplant growing from a corn on the cob vase.
—Kara Peeler, Sunset Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
His prosthetic eye twinkles, damaged from the siege of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, one of the more savage battles of the invasion’s first three months.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024
Back in 2017, before the SEC climate rule was even a twinkle in Gary Gensler’s eye, Walmart launched Project Gigaton, an ambitious project to eliminate one gigaton of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by 2030.
—Courtney Vien, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2024
The next day, the stoner, Saul Durand (Jovan Adepo), chalks the experience up to an elaborate hoax; the rest of the world also saw the stars twinkle in code, but the celestial blinks went undetected by Earth’s most powerful telescopes.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
There are eight lighting modes (combination, sequential, in waves, slow glow, chasing/flash, slow fade, twinkle, and steady on) that turn the tree into a fantastical light display.
—Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2023
Engage all your senses Set the mood with lighting: Consider adding a small lamp or even twinkle lights to create an intimate atmosphere.
—Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twinkle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near twinkle
Cite this Entry
“Twinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twinkle. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
twinkle
2 of 2 noun1
: a very short time
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