1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

crinkle 1 of 2

noun

Definition of crinklenext
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

Relevance

crinkle

2 of 2

verb

ˈkriŋ-kəl How to pronounce crinkle (audio)
1
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
2
as in to crumple
to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in crinkled the candy wrapper up and threw it away

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
Even toddlers can press a plastic knife or a crinkle cutter through a banana. — Michelle Crouch, Parents, 14 Aug. 2026 The company is known for its 100% Angus beef burgers, crinkle fries and milkshakes, including flavors such as Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Shake and the Biscoff Cookie Butter Tiramisu Shake. — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 12 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
  1. furrow
  2. rustle
  3. crumple
  4. wrinkle
  5. crease
  6. crackle
  7. scrunch
  8. squeak
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
  • And, for one entire episode, a gentle breeze rustles the branches of a weeping willow as an inaudible conversation takes place nearby.
    — Josh Gondelman, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The tree still stood, waiting, but no one visited, no one entered the world under her strong branches, her rustling leaves.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of rustle
Verb
  • But Mulderrig’s red Harley-Davidson Sportster slammed into the rear passenger side of Oates’ Cadillac, crumpling the back corner and twisting the wheel out of shape.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In a large sculpture, aluminum facsimile pages are crumpled on the floor, reflecting the way spacefaring nations have more or less ignored it.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of crumple
Verb
  • Time can wrinkle a face and rust a piece of steel, but for Chuck Wehrli 25 years is not nearly long enough to fade a memory.
    — Noel Brennan, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Crafted from quality linen, the dress has earned praise from shoppers for its high-quality fabric that’s easy to wash and doesn’t look overly wrinkled.
    — Jacquelyn McGilvray, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrinkle
Noun
  • The silky mattes go on without streaking (like some other inexpensive shadows might) along lashlines, over lids, and through creases for so many possible looks and so many color options (there are nine versions of the palette).
    — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In comparison to other foldable phones that came before it, the iPhone Duo is thin, and the internal screen lacks a crease, Stern noted.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of crease
Verb
  • Take time in Amana for shopping and Wiener schnitzel, then drive on US-6 to Fireside Winery in Marengo for a glass of dry Cordovan by the crackling fire.
    — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Behind his graying beard, his expression crackled between a scowl and a mad grin.
    — Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of crackle
Verb
  • 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
  • The bottle is scrunched up, but the distinctive logo from the ABC series remains.
    — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of scrunch
Verb
  • The Steelers squeaked out a win over backup QB Cooper Rush so their defense was hardly tested.
    — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • While Brady’s Bills squeaked by, Minter’s Ravens were dominant.
    — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of squeak

Browse Nearby Words

cringing (at)
crinkle
crinkled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crinkle. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All