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twin·kle | \ ˈtwiŋ-kəl 
\
\twinkled; twinkling\ ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ \
\Definition of twinkle
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to shine with a flickering or sparkling light : scintillate
2a : 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
twinkle
nounDefinition of twinkle (Entry 2 of 2)
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Other Words from twinkle
Verb
twinkler \ ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)lər \ noun
\ nounNoun
twinkly \ ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)lē \ adjective
\ adjectiveSynonyms for twinkle
Synonyms: Verb
Synonyms: Noun
- beat,
- eyeblink,
- flash,
- heartbeat,
- instant,
- jiff,
- jiffy,
- minute,
- moment,
- nanosecond,
- New York minute,
- second,
- shake,
- split second,
- trice,
- twinkling,
- wink
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
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb There’s a 12-foot-tall tree in the living room with gold, crystal and silver ornaments, some vintage and some new, and more than 2,000 twinkling lights.
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oregonlive, "Oregon families celebrate the holidays at home with well-loved traditions," 18 Dec. 2019 Ready to jump headlong into the seasonal frenzy and add a few hundred feet of twinkling lights to your already sparkling X-mas factor?
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Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, "Gingerbread crawl, y’all! Pastry chefs spin up holiday wonders for all to enjoy," 11 Dec. 2019 Picture it: Under twinkling blue lights, employees decked out in red and greed work hard to make Christmas creations for those eagerly awaiting the holidays.
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Tirion Morris, azcentral, "If you love the holidays, this is the downtown Phoenix bar you have to visit this winter," 5 Dec. 2019 The walls are lined with other creations: a model town with twinkling lights, a mosque, a church.
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Arwa Damon And Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, "A forgotten camp in Syria could be the birthplace of ISIS' revenge generation," 12 Sep. 2019 That glorious month when twinkling holiday lights make way for snow, gray skies and frigid temperatures.
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Mara Duckens, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Helping your child prepare for a successful new year," 4 Jan. 2018 Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle illuminates each night with more than 125,000 twinkling LED lights.
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Advertorial, Orange County Register, "December Disneyland Resort Reporter: Did You Know?," 2 Dec. 2019 Josef Horstmöller greets me at the end of the long, wooden bar, eyes twinkling, salt-and-pepper beard neatly groomed, and bow tie knotted meticulously beneath his chin.
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Christie Dietz, National Geographic, "Calling all foodies: Germany's 'white gold' season is in full swing," 14 May 2019 Plan a visit to take in the 50-foot Christmas tree, twinkling lights and holiday musical productions.
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Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE.com, "Calling All Christmas Lovers! You Can Visit These Real-Life Hallmark Movie Towns," 20 Dec. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Few things can brighten the mood of a home, yard, or office like a string of old-fashioned twinkle lights.
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Popular Science, "Twinkling lights to brighten up every space," 3 Jan. 2020 The story never finds its twinkle, but space is sublime.
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Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, "The third ‘Star Wars’ trilogy comes to a conclusion this week at the movies," 12 Dec. 2019 But when September rolled around and iPTF14hls crept out from behind the sun, there was its twinkle.
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Quanta Magazine, "‘Crazy’ Supernova Looks Like a New Kind of Star Death," 8 Nov. 2017 Cedar garland, gold tea lights and clear twinkle lights dress the mantel.
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oregonlive, "Oregon families celebrate the holidays at home with well-loved traditions," 18 Dec. 2019 But at the very least, locals can create their own holiday wonderland by decorating their homes, hanging twinkle lights, and ornamenting a Christmas tree.
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Taylor Seely, azcentral, "Valley 101 podcast: Where do real Christmas trees in Arizona come from? Do they grow here?," 2 Dec. 2019 This event is outside, on the lawn, and under the twinkle lights.
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Elizabeth Montgomery, azcentral, "Stories of food, family at open-air November Storytellers event," 1 Nov. 2019 Red and white checkered tables are tucked inside and around these structures, with twinkle lights strung around the beams and on the ceiling accentuating the candlelit ambiance.
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Lindsey Mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "Das ist gut! Gasthaus serves up 100% authentic German deliciousness in Louisville," 16 Oct. 2019 Enjoy it under the canopy of wisteria and twinkle lights on an evening at The Garage.
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Birmingham Magazine, al, "Birmingham City Bite: The Garage’s Fritz Sandwich," 26 Sep. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'twinkle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for twinkle
twinkle
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of twinkle
: to shine with an unsteady light : to produce small flashes of light
of the eyes : to have a friendly or happy expression
See the full definition for twinkle in the English Language Learners Dictionary
twinkle
verbtwin·kle | \ ˈtwiŋ-kəl \
\twinkled; twinkling
Kids Definition of twinkle
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to shine or cause to shine with a flickering or sparkling light
Stars twinkle in the sky.
2 : to appear bright with amusement
His eyes twinkled at the joke.
3 : to move or flutter rapidly
twinkle
nounKids Definition of twinkle (Entry 2 of 2)
2 : a very short time
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The first known use of twinkle was before the 12th century
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