CRINKLE Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

crinkle 1 of 2

noun

Definition of crinkle

as in furrow

a small fold in a soft and otherwise smooth surface little crinkles at the corners of his mouth showed whenever he smiled

Synonyms & Similar Words

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crinkle

2 of 2

verb

ˈkriŋ-kəl

as in to rustle

to make small sounds usually by rubbing or moving a paper seat cover that crinkles with every move

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to crumple

to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in crinkled the candy wrapper up and threw it away

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to wrinkle

to develop creases or folds her forehead crinkled in consternation when her guests failed to arrive on time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 crinkle

Noun

Melissa & Doug Flip Fish Soft Baby Toy This cuddly fish friend squeaks and crinkles. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026 Bake until edges of cookies are set and tops crinkle, 10 to 12 minutes. — Emily Paster, Midwest Living, 15 Aug. 2026

Verb

Similar in appearance to savoy spinach, but semi-savoy is moderately crinkled and easier to handle, says Kasper. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 29 Apr. 2026 Here, the creative studio pitches concepts like jeans with cutoff waistbands, crinkled barely-there washes, repairs and rounded patchwork and super flare silhouettes that mimic ’70s DIY fits. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 22 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crinkle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for crinkle

Noun

Their furrows reminded me of Rembrandt’s paintings of old men, brows carved deep by hard use and long years.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
The underwater drone, tethered to the ship with cables and about the size of a small car, was just above the ocean floor as the researchers and pilots searched for furrows potentially left by whales.

— Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of furrow

Verb

Sound arrives from grasses that rustle in the breeze or from birds drawn in by native flowering plants.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026
Foliage rustles in the autumn wind here, and where there aren’t corn husks swaying, there are flat, lonely expanses of dirt where crops have been harvested.

— Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of rustle

Verb

The aircraft crashed to the ground in a private farm field near McMinnville Municipal Airport, officials said, with a red helicopter left crumpled in pieces and a green helicopter lying upside down.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
On his last two drives, he was pressured into oblivion, forced to throw off-balance once and crumpled to the ground one other time.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of crumple

Verb

All items arrived clean (professional cleaning is included in your BNTO box subscription) and showed no wear and tear, though they were wrinkled from shipping and needed a good steam before wearing.

— Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 16 Oct. 2026
The same men worked in the lobby—a little fatter, a little more wrinkled and gray.

— Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrinkle

Noun

Pair cut-crease glittery gold eyes with a matching two-tone lip and a ton of highlighter.

— Michella Oré, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2026
Reviews praised the barely visible crease and battery life; one lab test logged nearly 29 hours of video playback, about half an hour more than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8.

— Lena Borrelli, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of crease

Verb

In between setups, Baranski tries to keep her energy up, scrunching her face and blowing her lips together to keep them elastic.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2026
Sitting at the defendant’s table, Flynn scrunched up his face and appeared to be crying as the 911 call was played aloud.

— Holly Yan, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of scrunch

Verb

Enacted in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act squeaked through the Senate only through a tiebreaking vote cast by Vice President Kamala Harris.

— Kayla Morton, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026
His three goals against the Canucks proved to be the difference, too, as the Cats needed every bit of Brady's offensive prowess to squeak out a 3-2 victory in overtime.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of squeak

Browse Nearby Words

cringing (at)

crinkle

crinkled

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Style

“Crinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crinkle. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of crinkle

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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