blinked

past tense of blink
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

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2
as in squinted
to rapidly open and close one's eyes I blinked for a few seconds after the camera flashed

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of blinked Dave Pasch made it five or six seconds into the sentence before the booth blinked out. Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 While the sign has previously blinked one side at a time, appearing to rotate clockwise, Rand does not plan to have the lights blink moving forward. Tyler Quattrin, Twin Cities, 7 Aug. 2026 Birdie blinked slowly to clear her eyes, then carefully pressed the cold metal of the knife against her cheek. Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026 In the monitoring room, screens blinked and maps pulsed, quietly charting what was happening underground. Andrei Popoviciu, The Dial, 21 July 2026 As Ford, Collins, and Ripley looked up, the green lights blinked on, confirming the signal had been received. Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026 Then, yesterday, Washington blinked, withdrawing the controls. Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 1 July 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
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
  • First responders performed life-saving efforts, but the man succumbed to his injuries, the release stated.
    Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Cora and Dawson died that day, and Callan succumbed to his injuries three days later in the hospital.
    Selena Barrientos, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Others stared silently into the void where the towers once stood.
    Thomas E. Franklin, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Those of us blessed not to have been at the point of impact filed out onto the lawn and stared back in horror at the broken and burning building.
    Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Inexplicably, the lights flickered during the groom-mother dance.
    Anna Raskind, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • While lights flickered, music blared and fans cheered, the goal was ruled off; Harris was initially deemed offside.
    PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 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
  • Last season, Liverpool conceded more goals than ever before in a 38-game Premier League campaign, so changes to the back line were inevitable this summer.
    David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • For the fourth time in the last five games, the Utah Royals (12-8-3) conceded at least two goals.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Many spent the hours of downtime chatting about the case; others read books or idly gazed out the lofty courthouse windows.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In the box, jumpers gazed up at several large monitors that displayed maps and live weather updates.
    M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blinked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blinked. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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