1
as in twinkles
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
3
as in succumbs
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 stares
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 blinks
Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2026
No one blinks an eye today at the kind of vivacious, confident woman Margaret Avery portrayed in The Color Purple.
—Diedre Johnson, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025
Whichever side blinks is considered cowardly by the media, but probably not by the voters.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
The green Christmas light blinks in horror.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
The stage version of the beloved children’s character blinks eyes that are full of whimsy and optimism.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
In a YouTube video, the robot’s head glances around with a quizzical expression and blinks in a way that is eerily lifelike.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2025
The button is surrounded by an LED that blinks to warn you if the door is unlocked.
—PC Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025
The camera never blinks as Ye speaks candidly about living with bipolar disorder, offering rare insight into the realities of mental illness and its impact on identity, perception, and power.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
Every time the user blinks, their eyelid rubs against the PDMS contact lens.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2026
No one blinks an eye today at the kind of vivacious, confident woman Margaret Avery portrayed in The Color Purple.
—Diedre Johnson, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025
Whichever side blinks is considered cowardly by the media, but probably not by the voters.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
The green Christmas light blinks in horror.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
The stage version of the beloved children’s character blinks eyes that are full of whimsy and optimism.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
In a YouTube video, the robot’s head glances around with a quizzical expression and blinks in a way that is eerily lifelike.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2025
The button is surrounded by an LED that blinks to warn you if the door is unlocked.
—PC Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025
The camera never blinks as Ye speaks candidly about living with bipolar disorder, offering rare insight into the realities of mental illness and its impact on identity, perception, and power.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blinks
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Charles squints at the phone.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Wiesmair squints at his smartphone, which is logged on to a database of European moth species.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Her sexuality is a source of conflict for her family, and the pressure leads to the painful breakup with her girlfriend, Rosie (Jess Gabor), who succumbs to family expectations.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
17 Dec. 2025
-
Live, the band’s cataclysmic volume precludes close observation, and melodic detail succumbs to feedback like dust caught in an exploding star’s stratosphere.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
28 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Another stares straight ahead, revealing no emotion, a mystery deepened by the bags under her eyes and the safety pin stabbed through her nose.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
13 Dec. 2025
-
In making the documentary, Craig stayed true to his and his brother’s body of work, which stares with unblinking eyes at the repercussions of violence.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Kind of two orange glows, like someone had lit two tiny matches out in space.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
-
These jets strike previously ejected gas, creating shockwaves that heat that gas, causing the bright glows demonstrated by HH 80 and HH 81 in this Hubble image.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The mysterious crime family flashes across the screen with John Noble and Luke Kirby portraying certain members.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Sir Idris Elba flashes his charming smile while visiting the Graham Norton Show, at BBC Studioworks in London.—
Katie Hill,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The hotel itself is a rhapsody in clean, modern design that subtly winks to the legion efforts behind it.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But when the lights go off and consciousness winks out, another, deeper process goes to work.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But Voss concedes much of Direda's testimony was corroborated by the evidence.—
Natalie Morales,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Tony Clark, executive director of the players union, concedes that the system might need tinkering but is adamantly opposed to a salary cap.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Curving around the glistening, glacial Sarmiento Lake, an amphitheater of rooms gazes up at the Paine massif, with scenes constantly shifting depending on the time of day.—
Sarah Marshall,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Around unexpected corners, the ocean gazes at you, a bold stranger.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blinks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blinks. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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