twinkled; twinkling
ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to shine with a flickering or sparkling light : scintillate
stars twinkling
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
… in the dark coverts the … beetle twinkles its tiny lamp …—
Haldane MacFall
Haldane MacFall2
: 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
Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
The team Pep Guardiola built in the early 2010s, combining the wonderful passing of Xavi Hernandez and Andrés Iniesta with the twinkling magic of Lionel Messi, will forever be remembered.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Then, the spectacle in Paris seduced the world once more as only the Olympic Games and the City of Light could, as events unfolded beneath an Eiffel Tower that went twinkle-twinkle every night.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for twinkle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Coakley’s eyes twinkled with a sense of pride.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
The team Pep Guardiola built in the early 2010s, combining the wonderful passing of Xavi Hernandez and Andrés Iniesta with the twinkling magic of Lionel Messi, will forever be remembered.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
The ocean blue dining room is as enchanting as ever, adorned with fish nets and twinkle lights.
—Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Then, the spectacle in Paris seduced the world once more as only the Olympic Games and the City of Light could, as events unfolded beneath an Eiffel Tower that went twinkle-twinkle every night.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for twinkle
Cite this Entry
“Twinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twinkle. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
twinkle
2 of 2 noun1
: a very short time
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
