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
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
Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Fellow porters huffing their way up a hillside; the stars twinkling above the desert sand; the layered waves of Caroline Polachek’s staggeringly beautiful title song cresting over the horizon at just the right moment.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 23 June 2025
Austin Hornbostel, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Park develops an especially strong rapport with the audience, her wry delivery belied by a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for twinkle
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Verb
Check out Alila Ventana Big Sur for rustic luxury where the lush forest meets the coastal cliffs
Garland Ranch Regional Park – In Carmel Valley, Garland Ranch Regional Park offers a scenic setting for gazing at the twinkling constellations in the serenity of the surrounding Santa Lucia Mountains.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Fellow porters huffing their way up a hillside; the stars twinkling above the desert sand; the layered waves of Caroline Polachek’s staggeringly beautiful title song cresting over the horizon at just the right moment.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 23 June 2025
Noun
As much as has been said about the future of Nashville’s East Bank, tangible change is still mostly a twinkle in the city’s eye.
—Austin Hornbostel, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Park develops an especially strong rapport with the audience, her wry delivery belied by a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for twinkle
Cite this Entry
“Twinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twinkle. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
twinkle
2 of 2 noun1
: a very short time
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