winked; winking; winks
1
: to shut one eye briefly as a signal or in teasing
2
: to close and open the eyelids quickly
3
: to avoid seeing or noting something
—usually used with at
4
: to gleam or flash intermittently : twinkle
her glasses winking in the sunlight—
Harper Lee
Harper Lee5
a
: to come to an end
—usually used with out
b
: to stop shining
—usually used with out
6
: to signal a message with a light
1
: to cause to open and shut
2
: to affect or influence by or as if by blinking the eyes
Examples of wink in a Sentence
Verb
He winked and said that he understood.
She winked at me as she asked what I was doing tonight.
She winked an eye at me.
The puppy was winking in the bright sun.
The stars winked in the night sky.
The airplane's landing lights winked on and off.
Noun
Her wink told me she was just kidding.
“I knew you could do it,” he said with a wink.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
After all, the comedian has a long reputation of playing comedic bits extremely straight without winking, and this project feels apiece with that.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Even the ones, such as Carpenter, who go for over-the-top sexuality do it with a wink and a heteropessimist edge.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wink
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
In the season premiere, Mari falls in Ben’s pit, which felt like either foreshadowing or just a winking tease about the common theory.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
After all, the comedian has a long reputation of playing comedic bits extremely straight without winking, and this project feels apiece with that.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
Design flourishes like the Ocean Bar’s bonefish frieze — complete with a top hat and cigar — add a playful wink to the otherwise polished aesthetic.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Even the ones, such as Carpenter, who go for over-the-top sexuality do it with a wink and a heteropessimist edge.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wink
Cite this Entry
“Wink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wink. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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