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 Following up on their brilliant 4-1 win over Paraguay a week ago would always be a tall task, but the Americans looked strong in the opening 45 minutes against the Aussies – though there remain some blinking warning signs about the Stars and Stripes’ defense. David Close, CNN Money, 19 June 2026 The royal, who was seen repeatedly blinking before jolting awake, was attending the annual ANZAC Day service at London's Westminster Abbey, which is held to commemorate Commonwealth soldiers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada who served and died in wars and peacekeeping operations. Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 19 June 2026 The webcams assessed user breaks, eye gaze and blinking, and delivered personalized reminders based on the 20-20-20 rule. Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 15 June 2026 Fascism lives in the upside-down; professional gaslighting features heavily amongst its weaponry, along with the blinking philistinism of the soulless. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 June 2026 Cleveland Clinic recommends being intentional about blinking as a first step. Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2026 Physical tics can be as subtle as eye blinking, or involve jerking the arms, or stretching the neck. Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026 The horizon is scattered with tall wind turbines, crowned with blinking red lights visible from miles away in the nighttime sky. Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026 Special features All interactive Fingerlings have a core set of responses such as blinking, sleeping and tooting. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blinking
Verb
  • As the plane made its descent, he was struck by the sight of hundreds of swimming pools twinkling blue in the sunshine.
    The Week UK, TheWeek, 20 June 2026
  • With their tiny, twinkling lights, fireflies are icons of a Georgia summer night.
    Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 6 June 2026
Verb
  • No more squinting at raw tape and praying for a basketball IQ transplant.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 June 2026
  • Tired of squinting at your dim, blurry TV?
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • Suddenly, Marjane succumbing to sorrow became achingly comprehensible.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
  • The Spurs got off just three field goal attempts while succumbing to the Knicks’ defensive pressure.
    Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • In Taiwan, a student sitting for an entrance exam for a top medical school was discovered wearing smart glasses after proctors noticed the student staring oddly at the test, leading to an inspection that revealed the frame was emitting heat.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 27 June 2026
  • Three stories, three separate sets of receipts, with one through line worth staring at until a clearer view emerges.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Bodycam footage of the arrest released by the sheriff's office shows a deputy holding a flashing red and blue light apparently found in Jabari's vehicle.
    Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
  • To remain an entertainment capital demands consistent reinvention, the showroom’s neon glow begetting the nightclub’s flashing LEDs and so on and so forth.
    Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • The team plans to test the device further with other F-35 units at Luke before submitting the design to the Air Force’s global system.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 26 June 2026
  • In a separate case, Oren David Shachar of Van Nuys, Abraham Shin of Corona and Jeannie Choi of Torrance are accused of participating in a healthcare fraud scheme involving submitting false claims for medically unnecessary hospice care services.
    Andrea Klick, Daily News, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Years after his dad’s reformation, Jonah sits on a bench at the Broncos’ practice facility in Dove Valley, gazing out at the green expanse of his future.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 June 2026
  • The self-reflexive qualities of the work go further, and the film can surely be read as a statement about the limits and possibilities of a totally analogue and backwards-gazing practice.
    Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Vermeer’s pictures are often observed to harbor spiritual meanings as well as material ones, flickering back and forth between the two.
    Clare Bucknell, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • Our favourite was the coco margarita, best consumed while sitting outdoors beneath stars and watching the flickering lights of nearby Nusa Penida and Lombok on the horizon.
    Arion McNicoll, TheWeek, 15 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blinking. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.

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