blinking

present participle of blink
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

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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
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 blinking Songs were deconstructed and reconstructed each night as the pair hunched over their blinking arrays. Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 8 Aug. 2026 The car’s hazard-warning lights were blinking the whole time. Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026 Soon, dozens of virtual attackers were blinking in and out of existence. Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 Nearby, several crocodiles sat without blinking in individual cages filled with greenish water. ABC News, 29 July 2026 Nothing beats the thrill of chasing the blinking bugs in grandma’s backyard in the dark, zooming around with Mason jars in hand. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 July 2026 But while Momsen was opening a concert, AC/DC was presiding over something that felt like a reunion, judging by the sea of black T-shirts, blinking red devil horns and giant cups of beer. Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2026 Everyone—blue-collar moms, college students, CEOs—suffers from the distractions of carrying around the pinging, blinking pocket-size casinos that our phones have become. Xochitl Gonzalez, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026 There’s a hundred blinking eyes, proving cities are for lonely deer in headlights. Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 17 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blinking
Verb
  • Be sure to plan at least one evening on-property to catch the sunset, when the mountains are painted in shades of pink and purple before giving way to a sky filled with twinkling stars.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • That night, rather than looking at the twinkling wind instruments on the stage, he was captivated by the view of the father and daughter in front of him.
    Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Internet armchair critics crying foul and other automakers squinting real hard can all stop wondering, questioning, and doubting whether the Ford Mustang GTD Competition achieved the unthinkable on street-legal tires.
    Joel Feder, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026
  • To help prevent wrinkles from forming around your eyes naturally, Zeichner recommends wearing sunglasses in the sun, as well as regular glasses to prevent squinting.
    Daley Quinn, Glamour, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • There have been some close calls, with the closest being a 75-74 defeat in Game 2 of last season’s opening round, a game where Golden State held multiple large leads before succumbing late to a Minnesota comeback.
    Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Walz ended his campaign for a third term in January after succumbing to scrutiny about systemic fraud uncovered in his state’s social services program.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Some edits of the clip show the character in black-and-white, staring at the camera, emulating a horror movie scene.
    Owen Carry, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Some of them still live in cabins and grow their own food and others spend their days staring at Microsoft Office screens, but versions of the spontaneous hippie archetype still live on within each of them.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Tottenham, repressed for so long in their spending and ambition, are suddenly flashing the cash like a slot machine, dropping £237million ($324m) already.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The best Catskills hotels and Hudson Valley retreats offer a quiet respite from the flashing lights of the city and a place to check in with your thoughts after a busy work season.
    Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The most likely outcomes in my mind are Makhachev controlling Garry for the majority of the fight and winning a clear decision, or perhaps submitting him.
    Brett Appley, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The putrid odors, insects and rodents coming from the millions of pounds of spoiled food have plagued surrounding neighborhoods, with residents submitting thousands of complaints to regulators.
    Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Deployed in 2004, the Swift Observatory spent over two decades gazing into some of the universe’s most powerful explosions.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Yes, seen from down in the crater, the sky was a piece of living archaeology, and the longer Gunn could spend gazing out at it, the better her grasp of the root of time.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • On the other hand, Tyler Lewis, owner and founder of Air Master HVAC & Electrical, explains that sometimes flickering can happen when a large appliance starts up and temporarily overloads a circuit.
    Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026
  • More troubling than the crowds is the flickering recognition that being a symbol is not necessarily a good thing.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blinking. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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