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
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026
Nobody seems to believe in Detroit in the postseason yet, which is partly a result of the Pistons not having won a playoff series since (checks notes) … (blinks and checks notes a second time) … 2008, and partly a result of legitimate questions about their iffy perimeter shooting.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Downtime on the set A few blinks later, crews wheeled in a larger-than-life, powder blue prop for the next episode and the contestants lined back up again, ready to take on a new task.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Between scenes, for instance, the illuminated proscenium blinks ominously, as if in code.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
But spotting when a star blinks for a fraction of a second as an asteroid passes in front of it from our perspective on Earth is incredibly challenging.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 2026
Nobody seems to believe in Detroit in the postseason yet, which is partly a result of the Pistons not having won a playoff series since (checks notes) … (blinks and checks notes a second time) … 2008, and partly a result of legitimate questions about their iffy perimeter shooting.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Downtime on the set A few blinks later, crews wheeled in a larger-than-life, powder blue prop for the next episode and the contestants lined back up again, ready to take on a new task.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Between scenes, for instance, the illuminated proscenium blinks ominously, as if in code.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2026
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
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
-
The 11-year-old titular character in Hamnet, up for Best Picture, succumbs to the plague.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Shakespearean classic focuses on Macbeth, a Scottish general who makes his prophecy of becoming king a reality but then succumbs to madness.—
Alyson Rodriguez,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
People can be seen running along the top of the bus and sitting on the front bumper as the driver stares glumly ahead from inside windows tagged with graffiti.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Washington stares blankly at the ceiling, over and over.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These glows lasted up to three seconds, often moving from leaf to leaf.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Inside, a long mahogany counter glows beneath warm gold walls, where bartenders move with precision through a selection of classics and inventive cocktails built on bold spirits and house infusions.—
Melinda Sheckells,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
An hour goes by, and then, through a slit in the curtains, Miley Cyrus flashes a smile and tips her oversize black sunglasses.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
-
After following the characters from high school to college, the series flashes forward five years for the finale with one final gut-punch.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Badlands might be a simple movie on the surface, but it's filled with little details, bits of lore, and cheeky winks many moviegoers appreciated.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Even the manager concedes that health questions hover over every member of his prospective rotation.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Oosterhoff concedes that psychiatric diagnoses and prognoses are inherently less certain than those of physical illnesses.—
Charles Lane,
The Atlantic,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tuxedoed servers wear playing-card pins on their lapels; a slot machine in the entryway shaped like a life-size Doc Holliday gazes at diners with uncanny intensity.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Blinks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blinks. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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