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
Similarly, during the 2013 shutdown, public sentiment blinked against both Congress and the president, with Republicans in Congress absorbing a heavier share of the blame.
—
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
The doe’s eyes blinked on either side of a spindly trunk.
—Devon O’Neil, Outside, 15 Oct. 2025
On the mountains, the unattended sheep raised their faces to the sky and blinked.
—Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Disney blinked once and could just as easily blink again.
—Lizz Winstead, Time, 27 Sep. 2025
Shirley Phinzee blinked wearily under the fluorescent lights of a Miami Wendy’s.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
Ultimately, Republicans blinked.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
And the grandmother blinked twice.
—Laura Vazquez, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Garfield blinked in shock a few times before rocketing out of his chair for a split second, then spinning around to uncomfortably look at his co-stars.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
The doe’s eyes blinked on either side of a spindly trunk.
—Devon O’Neil, Outside, 15 Oct. 2025
On the mountains, the unattended sheep raised their faces to the sky and blinked.
—Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Disney blinked once and could just as easily blink again.
—Lizz Winstead, Time, 27 Sep. 2025
Shirley Phinzee blinked wearily under the fluorescent lights of a Miami Wendy’s.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
Ultimately, Republicans blinked.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
And the grandmother blinked twice.
—Laura Vazquez, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Garfield blinked in shock a few times before rocketing out of his chair for a split second, then spinning around to uncomfortably look at his co-stars.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blinked
Verb
-
My astrologer’s eyes twinkled with infuriating delight.—
Jessie Rosen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Finn’s eyes, wide and wonderful, twinkled under the Mile High moonlight as the young girl took the stage for the first time.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Babycatcher looked up at the sky and squinted.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Eventually, in 1950, Orwell succumbed to the disease.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The man who died, whose name has not been released, was reportedly injured during the incident and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, officials said.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Then, in the 1980s, Anne stared as Veronica Rooney on the hit sitcom Archie Bunker’s Place, a role that added two more Emmy nods to her roster.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
-
So in the moments after takeoff, Higginbotham always stared at his watch, heart pounding, counting the seconds to a minute.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If the flame flickered or bent, air movement was present, indicating a draft.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
-
This summer, Kwame Nkrumah’s transatlantic legacy flickered back into view when Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary in the New York City mayoral race.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Mesh styles made a return in pointy-toe kitten-heel pumps in neutral colors while the Babouche design was reinterpreted in a python print or black satin that winked also to comfy red carpet moments.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The last ember of Rope A winked out.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Thomas Frank has preferred to build a solid base and Spurs have conceded the joint-fourth-fewest big chances (12, level with Sunderland, Manchester City and Brighton).—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Republican strategist Charlie Black conceded that Trump keeping Ingrassia in the White House has created a political optics problem for his administration.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the photo’s bottom‑left corner, a child pressed to someone’s chest gazed directly at the viewer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Who among us has not gazed at the stars and marveled at how our eyes are absorbing light that traveled thousands of years to reach us?—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blinked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blinked. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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