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
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
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
Across Exuvie, Büchi induces a state of temporary autophony, a condition in which internal body sounds like breathing and blinking are amplified to maddening volume.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
Two tiny humanoid robots that can play soccer stand in a glass case, one blinking and gesturing at visitors and the other partially disassembled to reveal the engineering inside.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026
Why face the blank page and the blinking cursor?
—Charles Yu, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Across Exuvie, Büchi induces a state of temporary autophony, a condition in which internal body sounds like breathing and blinking are amplified to maddening volume.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
Two tiny humanoid robots that can play soccer stand in a glass case, one blinking and gesturing at visitors and the other partially disassembled to reveal the engineering inside.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026
Why face the blank page and the blinking cursor?
—Charles Yu, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blinking
Verb
-
Jumeirah is the closest beach to Downtown, and the Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifa still loom large, best viewed from the rooftop Mercury Lounge, with its Arabian archways framing the twinkling city.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Apr. 2026
-
For our ancestors, that twinkling ball would have been completely dark.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Eventually, people could not resist returning to their lives, to routines more comfortable than standing in the streets with the sun glaring in your eyes, squinting up to check the position of snipers on a roof, or working with cramping fingers sewing your tenth mask of the night.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Most people have been there, squinting at a chart from their physician's portal with zero context.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Parker was also fighting tuberculosis at the time, succumbing to the disease just a few months after the battle.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Shepard uses her last ounce of strength to kill the final hitman before succumbing to her injuries.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That's a lot of late nights and early mornings staring at the sky.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
What Jaafar does amounts to an elaborate impression instead of an interpretation, re-creating the voice and the famous choreography and otherwise staring blankly into the middle distance when called upon to transmit emotions.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Moniak, meanwhile, continues flashing star power.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In the past, even when Gobert has done his job to the best of anyone’s abilities, Jokic has often found answers in the form of knocking down outside jumpers or by flashing his feathery touch in the midrange.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As Ballmer sees it, Sanberg agreed to cooperate in exchange for the league submitting a favorable sentencing letter to Judge Wilson, and thus he shouldn’t be regarded as a credible informant.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Agents from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins report buyers are engaged but cautious, submitting offers in economic and international uncertainty.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Additional photos showed the couple sharing their first kiss as newlyweds, exchanging wedding rings and the two gazing lovingly at each other as a wedding officiant stood between them.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
With the city’s famous landmark, Christ the Redeemer, gazing down on the fleet in Guanabara Bay, skipper Taylor Canfield had the Americans in solid position after one day of racing.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
11 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 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
