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
  • Some trees succumbed to insects after being weakened by drought.
    Jessie Schiewe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The New Jersey native succumbed to organ failure that led to cardiac arrest, the New York Times reported Friday.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In one photo, Pelphrey playfully cradled Cuoco's baby bump while the actress stared at him with a comically strained smile.
    Edward Segarra, USA Today, 15 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
  • The stadium lights flickered off, and both teams stood awkwardly as officials huddled at the 20-yard line.
    David Ubben, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Inexplicably, the lights flickered during the groom-mother dance.
    Anna Raskind, Los Angeles Times, 21 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
  • Purdue held both Indiana State‘s and Wake Forest’s starting running backs to less than four yards per carry, and has conceded just two rushing touchdowns to those starters this season.
    Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • And though Angel City sits midtable, its defense has been among the NWSL’s stingiest all season, having conceded just 27 times in 23 matches.
    Karan Lodha, New York Times, 16 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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