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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blinking
Verb
-
With their tiny, twinkling lights, fireflies are icons of a Georgia summer night.—
Charles Seabrook,
AJC.com,
6 June 2026
-
The Danish band’s newfound brightness is apparent from the start, as the album opens with twinkling glockespiel.—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
2 June 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
-
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
-
Avoid succumbing to a conspiracy theory or problematic spiritual philosophy as Mercury and Neptune square off.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The camera caught Maher staring at the stage with a slight smile, seemingly unsure how to react.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
13 June 2026
-
Most of us spend hours staring at phones, laptops and tablets every day, and our eyes feel it.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Robinson then ripped off a 53-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of Louisville’s playoff win over the Battlehawks on Sunday, flashing some impressive speed in the process.—
Juan Carlos Blanco,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
The combination of flashing light and movement startles them.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
In 2025, Pennsylvania officials brought criminal charges against seven people for submitting fraudulent voter registration forms.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
Alongside National Geographic experts and naturalists, guests have the opportunity to contribute directly to real scientific research by collecting data in the field, such as photographing whales during expeditions and submitting those images through Lindblad’s collaboration with Happywhale.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Spieth was one year removed from his third major victory at age 24, and Brown was 10, gazing up at his golfing idol in awe — the wunderkind speaking to a soon-to-be sensation in his own right.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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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
Verb
-
Replace and recycle burned-out or flickering bulbs.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
Yet a sinister rage brews within the former chef, flickering alive with the smallest spark.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blinking. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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