HINKY Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

hinky

adjective

ˈhiŋ-kē

Definition of hinky

slang

as in unsure

not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something the cop was feeling hinky about the whole situation and was starting to think that it was a setup

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in worried

feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty after noticing that the driver seemed hinky, the border guard demanded that he submit to an inspection of his vehicle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 hinky Wisconsin is similarly a hinky place that can be hard to poll, but the most recent ones show Democrats have a shot at holding the Governor’s gig. — Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 The rule of law may be battered and bruised, and even at times a bit hinky. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Even with such an expansion afoot, odd missteps, hinky plotholes, and confounding questions still abound. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024 These sorts of trust schemes have been around a long time and are known by a variety of hinky names such as the constitutional equity pure trust or a pure trust organization. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 Lumber prices have shot up again in a rise reminiscent of a year ago, when high-climbing wood prices warned of the hinky supply lines and broad inflation to come. — Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2021 Some of these outcasts — like the would-be killer of Ronald Reagan, John Hinckley (a hinky looking Adam Chanler-Berat) — are all too familiar. — Marilyn Stasio, Variety, 14 Nov. 2021 The scene at the small, Northeast Hancock Street house was hinky. — oregonlive, 3 May 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hinky

Adjective

Researchers are also still unsure which spacecraft burn up completely and how many fragments may reach the ground, putting lives and property at risk.

— Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Police and lifeguards were unsure as to the most recent jumping fatality, with one official pointing to the 2019 death of 15-year-old Anthony Womack, a National City resident.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of unsure

Adjective

When Republican lawmakers secured cuts to the United States' largest food assistance program last year, Paige Shoemaker DeMio wasn't worried about children going hungry just at home — but at school.

— Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
Mattfeld is excellent in what could easily have been a thankless role, playing Ricky with the mien of someone who is always holding it together, years of disappointment and condescension and expectation keeping her eyes worried and jaw tight.

— Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

Glendale police received multiple calls about a suspicious male adult, with officers first responding to a retail store in the 1500 block of Glenoaks Boulevard.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
By the time something appears suspicious, causality is fragmented across systems, logs and identities.

— Brian Contos, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of suspicious

Adjective

The letter writer is almost 40 and nervous about living with a romantic partner for the first time.

— Shane O’Neill, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
That energy spike is reinforcing inflation worries in a bond market already nervous about America’s $40 trillion mountain of debt.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of nervous

Adjective

And given their preference for rocky environments over sandy lagoons and the crabs’ reproductive prowess, fishermen and experts alike are skeptical.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
The early sales reps who thrived on instinct and relationships start selling into a market that’s crowded, educated and skeptical.

— Doug May, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of skeptical

Adjective

So many teams began the season in a state of turmoil, with key players uncertain over their future and positions unfilled.

— Oliver Kay, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
The forecast then becomes uncertain, as one model suggests a stronger system could bring cooler weather and rain, while another keeps the heat in place.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of uncertain

Adjective

That feels very much in tune with the anxious characters Eisenberg has played over the course of his acting career, but this whole directing thing is working out nicely for him, too.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
Nelson remembers hushing her foster children back to sleep that night and calling 911, anxious for an end to those sleepless nights.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of anxious

Browse Nearby Words

hinging

hinky

hinnies

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“Hinky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hinky. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hinky

adjective

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