1
as in twinkled
to shine with light at regular intervals
she loves to sit in the dark and watch the lights on the Christmas tree blink in ever-changing patterns
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in succumbed
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)
for two days the nations stood on the brink of war, until one finally blinked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in stared
to look long and hard in wonder or surprise
stood blinking at the ridiculous scene before him in utter disbelief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blinked
Drouin blinked first, ending his holdout in March and playing for Syracuse.
—
Max Bultman, New York Times, 10 June 2026
The cushion is running out So far, consumers haven’t blinked.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Trump has blinked many times in the confrontation with Iran—ever since March 18, when Israel attacked the Pars gas field and Iran retaliated with a strike against Qatar’s most important natural-gas-production facility.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The Nuggets stared into the eyes of a pack of Wolves, and blinked.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
Hitchcock blinked rapidly as the drugs began flowing and took several deep breaths.
—Jeffrey Collins, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Two of the Tigers’ runs came in the eighth and two more in the ninth when the Braves’ typically solid defense blinked.
—Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 30 Apr. 2026
So who actually blinked first and who really came out on top?
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Trump blinked, pausing and watering down many of those tariffs in response to extreme market pressure.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Max Bultman, New York Times, 10 June 2026
The cushion is running out So far, consumers haven’t blinked.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Trump has blinked many times in the confrontation with Iran—ever since March 18, when Israel attacked the Pars gas field and Iran retaliated with a strike against Qatar’s most important natural-gas-production facility.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The Nuggets stared into the eyes of a pack of Wolves, and blinked.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
Hitchcock blinked rapidly as the drugs began flowing and took several deep breaths.
—Jeffrey Collins, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Two of the Tigers’ runs came in the eighth and two more in the ninth when the Braves’ typically solid defense blinked.
—Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 30 Apr. 2026
So who actually blinked first and who really came out on top?
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Trump blinked, pausing and watering down many of those tariffs in response to extreme market pressure.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blinked
Verb
-
Before a big night out or even just dinner with friends, lids twinkled, cheekbones caught the light from every angle, and lip gloss doubled as a mirror.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Animated pixie dust twinkled on the screen, courtesy of the fairy, Tinker Bell.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
McNutt said as Murray squinted down at the stands and zoomed in to catch a photo of the pop superstar for his wife.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
-
Pok squinted against his bedroom's harsh, swinging light.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The couple was found unresponsive and later succumbed to their injuries.—
Samantha Cookinham,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
-
The Italian citizen, who lived in the city of Arezzo, 140 miles northeast of Rome, was taken to the hospital in critical condition but later succumbed to her injuries, according to Sky TG24.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Pino stared down Adams after cross-examination — and Adams stared back at him.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
-
Dick gave a whinny and stared at the water.—
Dolores Brown,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
SportsCenter flickered on several televisions.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
10 June 2026
-
In the Florida Keys, lights flickered and boats rocked a bit more than usual.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The Baronessa winked and stated that the princess was an inspiration to others.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
Ten hours later, its transponder winked back into life due north of Abu Dhabi, heading for Bahrain.—
Priyanjana Bengani,
Bloomberg,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Rather than crumbling after allowing the first-minute goal, Scotland has settled down and given itself a chance to get back into the game rather than conceded a quick, second goal.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
-
And while ratings are up for MLS on Apple TV this season, commissioner Don Garber has conceded the league may have moved entirely to streaming too soon.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
En route from the airport, his mother gazed out of the window, apparently rapt by these strange surroundings.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
20 June 2026
-
Were the children subjected to the marshmallow test allowed to pursue such gratifying delights, or would merely touching the treats have demonstrated their surrender to short-termism, causing the psychologist who gazed at them through a peephole to return, disappointed?—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blinked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blinked. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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