blinker

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noun blink·er \ ˈbliŋ-kər \

Definition of blinker

1 :one that blinks; especially :a light that flashes off and on as a warning or a signal

2 a :blinder 1

b :a cloth hood with shades projecting at the sides of the eye openings used on skittish racehorses —usually used in plural

3 blinkers plural :blinder 2

See blinker defined for English-language learners

See blinker defined for kids

Recent Examples of blinker from the Web

Some clear-minded experts on extremist violence harbor no such ideological blinkers.

— john fund, National Review, "‘No Enemies on the Left’ Is Still the Mantra of Too Many Liberals," 21 Aug. 2017
Turn on your blinker while Tesla's Autopilot is driving and the car obliges, moving into the next lane over.

— andrew moseman, Popular Mechanics, "The Manual Car Is About More Than Shifting Gears," 19 Aug. 2017
There, black men complained of being stopped by the police for trivial reasons, like grabbing at their sagging pants or turning on their blinkers too soon while driving.

— john eligon, New York Times, "He Called the School Board Racist. Now, He’s Joined It.," 24 July 2017
Lincoln’s greatness is not undermined by an attempt to see him clearly, with neither progressive nor idealistic blinkers, and neither Lincoln nor history benefits from Foner’s special pleading.

— New York Times, "Letters to the Editor," 14 July 2017
The Smoky Mountains offer an ideal habitat for the little blinkers, given the warm, moist, overgrown landscape devoid of artificial light.

— greg porter, Washington Post, "PM Update: Cool and comfortable tonight with temps falling into the 50s. Mild but not hot Monday.," 25 June 2017
Failure to use a blinker when making a turn or changing lanes is against the law and leads to two million collisions per year in the U.S., according to a Society for Automotive Engineers study.

— linda robertson, miamiherald, "No turn signals? That drives these drivers mad," 20 June 2017
The broken blinker turned up inside the cargo area.

— john ferak, USA TODAY, "'Making a Murderer': Steven Avery's lawyer says victim's ex-boyfriend killed her," 14 June 2017
For the Triple Crown races, trainer Ben Jones put blinkers and Eddie Arcaro on the horse, and the moves paid off with wins of 8 lengths in the Kentucky Derby, 5.5 lengths in the Preakness and 2.5 lengths in the Belmont.

— AL.com, "2017 Belmont Stakes: No new member to Triple Crown club this year," 10 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blinker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of blinker

1637

blinker

verb

Definition of blinker

transitive verb

:to put blinders on

Recent Examples of blinker from the Web

But blinkering yourself is no substitute for the thinking person's conscientious digital objection: choosing not to stream that movie—or clicking Unfollow.

— the editors, The Atlantic, "Laura Harrier and Nail Art: The Week in Pop-Culture Writing," 8 July 2017
But to treat issues such as affirmative action, cultural appropriation, and the like in the same way is blinkered and facile.

— john mcwhorter, National Review, "Stop Obsessing Over Race and IQ," 5 July 2017
The very notion of an Amazonian island—of isolation and segregation—comes off, in the light of experience, as a narrowing and blinkering background.

— richard brody, The New Yorker, "The Hard-Won Wisdom of “Wonder Woman”," 6 June 2017
On Monday, PPG criticized Akzo Nobel for being blinkered, unwilling to discuss anything beyond details of the proposal already tabled.

— ellen proper, Bloomberg.com, "Akzo's Third Snub of PPG Raises Prospect of Hostile Approach," 8 May 2017
Nonetheless, what is driving its current behavior are some deeper — and creepy — similarities to the arrogant and blinkered Old South.

— victor davis hanson, The Mercury News, "Hanson: California mirrors the Confederacy in its independence rationale and its decline," 9 Feb. 2017
Old media could be held to account for its cozy relationships, its disclosure failures, its hiring practices and its blinkered or slanted coverage — real or perceived.

— john herrman, New York Times, "What We’ve Learned About the Media Industry During This Election," 8 Nov. 2016

First Known Use of blinker

1823

BLINKER Defined for English Language Learners

blinker

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noun

Definition of blinker for English Language Learners

blinkers : leather pieces that are placed on either side of a horse's head next to its eyes

BLINKER Defined for Kids

blinker

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noun blink·er \ ˈbliŋ-kər \

Definition of blinker for Students

:a light that blinks to indicate that a vehicle will be turning

Learn More about blinker

See words that rhyme with blinker Spanish Central: Translation of blinker Nglish: Translation of blinker for Spanish speakers

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blinker

Definition of blinker

Recent Examples of blinker from the Web

First Known Use of blinker

blinker

Definition of blinker

Recent Examples of blinker from the Web

First Known Use of blinker

BLINKER Defined for English Language Learners

blinker

Definition of blinker for English Language Learners

BLINKER Defined for Kids

blinker

Definition of blinker for Students

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blinker

Definition of blinker

From the M-W Editors

Recent Examples of blinker from the Web

First Known Use of blinker

blinker

Definition of blinker

Recent Examples of blinker from the Web

First Known Use of blinker

BLINKER Defined for English Language Learners

blinker

Definition of blinker for English Language Learners

BLINKER Defined for Kids

blinker

Definition of blinker for Students

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