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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blinking
Verb
-
Set just off the main strip, the almost-entirely al fresco restaurant is all twinkling candlelight and old school vibes, with tables set beneath the open sky with the mountains hovering in the distance.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
-
That dress, which cost thirty-eight ninety-nine, still hung limply in the store, twinkling.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 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
-
Ace Hunter Brown made two starts before succumbing to a shoulder strain and closer Josh Hader has not thrown a pitch in the majors this season.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
7 May 2026
-
Its Blue Ghost lander returned scientific data from the lunar surface for 14 days before succumbing to the dark lunar night.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
So, sometimes silence and solitude is necessary, and just like sitting on a plane watching nothing, doing nothing, just staring blankly at … it's called raw-dogging a flight.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
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According to the criminal complaint in that case, a woman at a coffee shop drive-thru reported seeing a man, later identified as Trepanier, at the back of the building with his pants down and masturbating while staring at her.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
To make everything even more Guy Ritchie–riffic, the director intercuts some of these scenes with a recipe for a stovetop negroni svegliato, complete with the ingredients flashing on the screen.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
It has been expanded twice since then and now includes vehicles with flashing amber or white lights.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
All artists submitting work live in California, and their art has been created within the last three years.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
14 May 2026
-
She was additionally found guilty of insurance fraud for taking out a $100,000 insurance policy on her husband's life with his forged signature and for submitting a claim following his death.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Other communities, such as Malibu, have developed ordinances to reduce glare and artificial light, as has Joshua Tree National Park, a star-gazing haven that is designated an International Dark Sky Park.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Or, if you'd rather be cocooned in greenery than gazing at the Pacific, one of the two treehouse-style suites nestled in the property's garden is a dreamy alternative.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Lightning flickering near Wichita, Kansas, lit up the night sky on May 5, 2026, in a display powerful enough to be seen from low Earth orbit.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Guests first move through a dim corridor lined with towering stacks of CRT televisions flickering with grainy studio footage, ambient static and fragmented vocals.—
Jonathan Cohen,
SPIN,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blinking. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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