wink at

phrasal verb

winked at; winking at; winks at
: to pretend not to have seen or noticed (something) : to ignore
The city cops wink at the mayor's parking violations.

Examples of wink at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The film’s press campaign has, quite reasonably, played up the magnificence of Skarsgård’s body in leather and winked at the transgressiveness on display. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2026 The goal isn't to turn your space into a theme-y soundstage, but to let the your decor wink at the mural and play along. Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 20 Feb. 2026 Catherine O’Hara brought humanity to over-the-top characters—and managed to wink at the audience in the process, Paula Mejía writes. Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026 As a wink at the title, transparency is an underlying theme not just in Reveal’s products, but also in how transparent the narrator is being with readers in terms of reliability. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wink at

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Cite this Entry

“Wink at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wink%20at. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.

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