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 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
Sneezing forcefully expels mucus and airborne debris; reflexive blinking may help shield the eyes from contaminants moving upward across the face.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The only things brighter than Dylan Groenewegen’s pink and blue sleeves are the blinking camera lights around him, all videographers belonging to his Unibet Rose Rockets team.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Several cars, some with hazard lights blinking, appeared to have been picked up by the storm.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Victor sat there, blinking in shock for what would later seem like two lifetimes.
—‘pemi Aguda, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
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
Heidi did it in back-to-back months without even blinking.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
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
Sneezing forcefully expels mucus and airborne debris; reflexive blinking may help shield the eyes from contaminants moving upward across the face.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The only things brighter than Dylan Groenewegen’s pink and blue sleeves are the blinking camera lights around him, all videographers belonging to his Unibet Rose Rockets team.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Several cars, some with hazard lights blinking, appeared to have been picked up by the storm.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Victor sat there, blinking in shock for what would later seem like two lifetimes.
—‘pemi Aguda, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
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
Heidi did it in back-to-back months without even blinking.
—Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blinking
Verb
-
The Danish band’s newfound brightness is apparent from the start, as the album opens with twinkling glockespiel.—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
2 June 2026
-
This twinkling turquoise-and-peach set looks like a treasure waiting to be discovered at the bottom of the ocean.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Tuesday afternoon in the blazing heat, Semien emerged from the visitors’ clubhouse holding a bat and ready for BP, squinting his eyes to try to find Toboni across the field near the home dugout.—
Barry Svrluga,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Yet succumbing to hubris is now more dangerous than ever.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
They were ejected into all manner of orbits, there to remain for decades before ultimately succumbing to the slow pull of Earth’s gravity at higher altitudes.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The Knicks, staring basketball death in eye-to-eye, closed the third quarter on a 25-11 run.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
-
Arredondo refused, staring at the man with tears welling up in his eyes.—
Maria Aguilar Prieto,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Ahead of the endorsement vote, Klobuchar supporters holding batons with flashing green lights dominated the convention floor.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
-
Neighbors said flashing emergency lights and sirens alerted them something was terribly wrong.—
Adi Guajardo,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Should the center end up with 40 hours of weekly operation, staff and CRG members would be tasked with submitting a proposal on how to use the hours.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
Reporting teams have held back on submitting story pitches about important news topics out of fear of the internal repercussions.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
As a scorching wind tears across the barren, rocky slopes of Komote Island off the shore of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, Alfred Lenkutuk sits in the meager shelter of his hut, gazing out over the village where he was born and remembering better times.—
Tommy Trenchard,
NPR,
31 May 2026
-
There are humans bustling everywhere, walking, lifting, turning blind corners and gazing upwards.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Yet a sinister rage brews within the former chef, flickering alive with the smallest spark.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 June 2026
-
Look for blackened, dim, and flickering bulbs during your inspections and replace those as well.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blinking. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
