1
as in twinkling
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
as in squinting
to rapidly open and close one's eyes
I blinked for a few seconds after the camera flashed
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in succumbing
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 staring
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 blinking
There’s a Marshalls on the Strip, a flashy glassy Marshalls being scaled by King Kong–like blinking M&M’s, but this was a normal strip-mall Marshalls.
—
Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Cars are left unmanned, hazard lights blinking while their owners rush in to retrieve takeout orders.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Heidi did it in back-to-back months without even blinking.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
The lights offer eight modes, including seven blinking options and one steady setting.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Speaking to the interviewer and appearing to be blinded by the bright spotlights, Denton began blinking in a seemingly random manner.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Apr. 2026
Robbie Saenz de Viteri, the project’s co-creator, came into the visitor center, wheeling a library cart laden with a blinking soundboard.
—Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Instead, the crew of the historic Artemis II mission headed around the moon reported a blinking fault light on their lunar latrine.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
The emitters also demonstrated strong spectral stability, addressing a key limitation in earlier designs where blinking and photobleaching reduced performance.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Cars are left unmanned, hazard lights blinking while their owners rush in to retrieve takeout orders.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Heidi did it in back-to-back months without even blinking.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
The lights offer eight modes, including seven blinking options and one steady setting.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Speaking to the interviewer and appearing to be blinded by the bright spotlights, Denton began blinking in a seemingly random manner.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Apr. 2026
Robbie Saenz de Viteri, the project’s co-creator, came into the visitor center, wheeling a library cart laden with a blinking soundboard.
—Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Instead, the crew of the historic Artemis II mission headed around the moon reported a blinking fault light on their lunar latrine.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
The emitters also demonstrated strong spectral stability, addressing a key limitation in earlier designs where blinking and photobleaching reduced performance.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blinking
Verb
-
The third inspection got China Star twinkling again.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The bounty of wide, unrestrained, eyes-twinkling smiles genuinely brought me joy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On a street by the harbor, crowds of people were squinting into the distance, exclaiming every time the whale exhaled.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
-
Whether 2026 is the year, or just the year fans started squinting at the schedule, is the watercooler question worth holding onto until that first Monday in May.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Regretfully, locally foxgloves only last through spring and early summer before succumbing to the heat and humidity of the hot months.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
Mullins, 26, died on the floor of the store, succumbing to his wounds before paramedics arrived.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Made in response to a difficult breakup, the work alludes to two lovers parting ways, but also to Pau’s memories of isolation as a severely asthmatic child in a notoriously polluted city, lying in bed staring at the wall and inventing stories to distract herself from the difficulty of breathing.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Suddenly, the Royals were staring at a 5-2 deficit.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The one that keeps flashing in my mind in the current call to ratchet down the incendiary rhetoric was Don Jr’s reaction to the near-fatal 2022 home invasion attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The new project would install flashing red lights that signal drivers to stop when a pedestrian needs to cross.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His case stemmed from years of submitting false financial information to obtain loans and avoid taxes.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
The award will be credited to the film itself, with the director accepting on behalf of the creative team, rather than to a submitting country or region.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Farran asked, gazing at their graves — cardboard signs smeared with handwritten Arabic because the war has made a proper burial in their village impossible.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Here's what to know about the timing, and if the weather will allow for moon-gazing activities.—
Mariyam Muhammad,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Absorptive, addictive, violent (and by then near-universal, with televisions flickering in ninety-five per cent of American homes), TV was officially a bad mom.—
Jean Garnett,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Sensing something was wrong, the family looked out a back window and noticed a flickering light.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blinking. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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