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glint

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb glint contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of glint are flash, gleam, glimmer, glisten, glitter, shimmer, and sparkle. While all these words mean "to send forth light," glint implies a cold glancing light.

glinting steel

When is flash a more appropriate choice than glint?

The words flash and glint are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, flash implies a sudden outburst of bright light.

lightning flashed

When would gleam be a good substitute for glint?

The synonyms gleam and glint are sometimes interchangeable, but gleam suggests a steady light seen through an obscuring medium or against a dark background.

lights gleamed in the valley

Where would glimmer be a reasonable alternative to glint?

The meanings of glimmer and glint largely overlap; however, glimmer suggests a faint or wavering gleam.

a distant glimmering light

When might glisten be a better fit than glint?

The words glisten and glint can be used in similar contexts, but glisten applies to the soft sparkle from a wet or oily surface.

glistening wet sidewalk

In what contexts can glitter take the place of glint?

While in some cases nearly identical to glint, glitter connotes a brilliant sparkling or gleaming.

glittering diamonds

When is it sensible to use shimmer instead of glint?

While the synonyms shimmer and glint are close in meaning, shimmer means shining with a wavering light.

a shimmering satin dress

When could sparkle be used to replace glint?

In some situations, the words sparkle and glint are roughly equivalent. However, sparkle suggests innumerable moving points of bright light.

the sparkling waters

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 glint
Verb
From the windows of her family’s 14th-floor apartment, Alvarez was transfixed by the view of cars threading along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the glint of the Manhattan Bridge. Elly Fishman, New York Times, 22 May 2025 The images often frame Bono in shadow, with glints of light around him, lending a chiaroscuro elegance to his presence. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2025
Noun
The Grammy-winning rapper sparkled in a sumptuous canary gown that glinted with the help of some reflective beading. Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025 My living friends teeth glinting in the low light silverware against ceramic Tarsus, manus, stinger, legs. Safia Elhillo, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for glint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for glint
Verb
  • Dressed in a Versace shirt and gleaming gold chain, Shakur was still out on bond, still basking in the glow of stardom, brushing off a violent altercation with a Crip gang member inside a Sin City casino that had transpired just hours earlier after a Mike Tyson boxing match.
    Danielle Bacher, People.com, 1 July 2025
  • That means, as Hercules, buoyant Brady is asked to present little beyond a sweet-natured, naive hunk celebrated for his gym membership and gleaming dentistry.
    David Benedict, Variety, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • The luxury vehicle glanced off another car, spun around, and turned over in a ditch.
    Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2025
  • The storm of 1994: Here's how the blizzard led to better snow response Confident at first, Meredith kept glancing at her watch.
    Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Noun
  • The sunscreen’s lightweight formula gives my skin a radiant glow instead of a chalky finish.
    Clara McMahon, People.com, 28 June 2025
  • To execute his signature summer glow, Turner reaches for Chanel Les Beiges Water Tint for fresh, sheer coverage.
    Larry Stansbury, Essence, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Earlier this year, Anthropic, an AI startup, flashed a big warning: AI could wipe out more than half of all entry-level white-collar jobs in the next one to five years.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025
  • The Spy bag has since been spotted on celebrities such as Aubrey Plaza, Kelly Rowland, Rita Ora and Bianca Balti, while Rihanna and Bella Hadid, among others, have recently flashed vintage models.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • To see Henry’s butcher’s shoulders peeking out of a diamanté slip dress was a gag that kept on giving.
    Han Ong, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
  • In the nearby Garment District — where a dramatic raid almost two weeks ago preceded a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations across Southern California, sparking volatile protests — the streets were empty except for a handful of customers peeking into stores.
    Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • The cosmic duo will be visible for around two and a half hours before the glare of the rising sun hides the Pleiades from view.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 4 July 2025
  • With a full understanding about both the financial stakes and the glare of a national spotlight, Tucker has avoided the distractions that could have derailed his performance.
    Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • Crucial messages embedded where our unreliable narrator just glimpses them, struggling against herself to see.
    erin Khuê Ninh June 17, Literary Hub, 17 June 2025
  • But there’s also something wistful about it, as if its characters had glimpsed a possibility of freedom, unity, and happiness that, nearly 100 years later, is still out of reach.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • Despite this recent glimmer of hope, injected by crypto bull market excitement, overall public companies are struggling.
    Christopher Perkins, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • But there is a way out of this mess — and a glimmer of hope for Sox fans in the team’s second rebuild since 2017.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Glint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glint. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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