twinkle

verb

twin·kle | \ˈtwiŋ-kəl

twinkled; twinkling\ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ

Definition of twinkle

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

1 : to cause to shine with fluctuating light

2 : to flicker or flirt rapidly twinkled the straight, red-lacquered toes— Glenway Wescott

twinkle

noun

Definition of twinkle (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an intermittent radiance : flicker, sparkle

2 : a rapid flashing motion : flit

3 : a wink of the eyelids

4 : the instant's duration of a wink : twinkling

Other Words from twinkle Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about twinkle

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Other Words from twinkle

Verb

twinkler \ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)lər

\ noun

Noun

twinkly \ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)lē

\ adjective

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 Web: Verb

Other inspiring evening hair cues came from Carrozzini’s twinkling vintage slide capturing her loose bun, and Emma Weymouth’s fresh white roses to match her Dolce & Gabbana. — Vogue, "Claire Foy, Idris Elba, Anna Wintour, Sophie Okonedo, Ralph Fiennes, and the Cast of Hamilton Fete the 64th Evening Standard Theatre Awards," 19 Nov. 2018 Just imagine it for a moment: the sound of the crackling fire, the sight of snow flurries waltzing behind the window, the taste of warm eggnog, and the coziness of your family sitting beside your twinkling leg lamp. — Diana Bruk, Country Living, "You Can Now Stay Overnight in the 'Christmas Story' House," 14 Aug. 2018 The Museum of Modern Art hosted the premiere, with lights twinkling in the courtyard as guests were ushered into the screening. — Kate Klausner, Vogue, "Hugh Jackman Trades Wolverine for Politics at Last Night’s Premiere of The Front Runner," 31 Oct. 2018 Hals creates a lively scene of merry faces, twinkling eyes, and dynamic hand gestures that signal family interactions. — Judith H. Dobrzynski, WSJ, "‘Frans Hals Portraits: A Family Reunion’ Review: Piecing Together the Van Campen Clan," 20 Oct. 2018 The sky changes throughout the day, and rivers twinkle as the sun sets. — Alexander George, Popular Mechanics, "How To Get Into the High-Powered World of Gaming PCs," 20 Sep. 2018 Both of them buzzed with a tangible excitement, glitter twinkling on their cheekbones and eyelids. — Ludmila Leiva, Allure, "Meet Fluide, the Makeup Brand That Believes in the Power of Inclusion — Not Tokenism," 10 Sep. 2018 Then things she'd only seen in movies: twinkling skyscrapers with vast crowds walking between them like ants. — Todd Pitman, Fox News, "6 Years Gone: Myanmar woman escapes brutal China captivity," 6 Sep. 2018 Beneath twinkling crystal stars and a projection of clouds crossing the sky, watch Disney’s Aladdin come to life on stage September 12 through 23. — Allison Weiss Entrekin, Condé Nast Traveler, "What to Do in Atlanta in September 2018," 5 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Rihanna has been hosting the (almost) annual Diamond Ball, an event that benefits the Clara Lionel Foundation, since 2014 — long before Fenty Beauty was even a twinkle in the icon's eye. — Marci Robin, Allure, "Rihanna Wore Fenty Beauty's New Diamond Bomb to the Diamond Ball, Of Course," 14 Sep. 2018 The warm twinkle of fairy lights around town, the vacation days, and, of course, the extra family time make some people feel all of the joy. — Mattie Quinn, SELF, "10 Tips for Dealing With Family Estrangement During the Holidays," 21 Nov. 2018 String the twinkle lights through the holes and hide the extra wires in the box before replacing the back of the letter to close it up. — Sarah Newell, Seventeen, "10 DIY Dorm Decor Hacks That Even Lazy Girls Can Do," 19 June 2017 Together, the collection of twinkle lights strung from the dorm’s celling, the assortment of artwork on the walls (everything from woven tapestries to various vinyl records), and warm vintage hues work jointly to make this room one stunning space. — Katelyn Chef, Teen Vogue, "Mississippi College Dorm Decor," 11 Sep. 2018 The former is a pot-dealing ne’er-do-well who’s just been kicked out of his retirement community (but whose claim to be dying is belied by the twinkle in his eye). — Michael O’sullivan, kansascity, "‘Boundaries’: Pot-dealing Christopher Plummer plus adorable dogs equals fun road movie," 5 July 2018 The former is a pot-dealing ne'er-do-well who's just been kicked out of his retirement community (but whose claim to be dying is belied by the twinkle in his eye). — Michael O'sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "'Boundaries' review: A family road trip to reconciliation and maybe, understanding," 28 June 2018 There was even talk during his days as a twinkle-toed prospect of calling him up to Spain’s Under-21 team. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "Russian Soccer’s Foreign Agent," 24 June 2018 Just look to these nine stars as metallic makeup inspiration, from shimmering sapphire, dusky bronze, and every twinkle and glimmer in between. — Hannah Morrill, Allure, "9 Metallic Makeup Looks You’ll Want to Try Now," 23 Feb. 2018

These 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.