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

Relevance

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 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

Essentially, markets believe that interest rates will rise in 2026 but are unsure of both the magnitude and timing.

— Simon Moore, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Engineers are unsure of the condition of Swift’s thermal insulation, and ground controllers will take a cautious approach to determining where and when Link’s robotic arms can capture the satellite.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026

Definition of unsure

Adjective

The 18-year-old was sent to Adelanto ICE Detention Center in handcuffs, nearly a hundred miles away from his worried family members.

— Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Holmes is worried about old shingles and tiles in construction material that could have asbestos leaking into the water supply.

— Mary Ella Hastings July 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

Nile finds himself in a cat-and-mouse dynamic with his new neighbor (Claire Danes), an author in search of her next book subject who is suspicious of his innocence.

— Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
But by playing coy about next steps, Hamas has given observers and critics plenty of reasons to be suspicious about this latest development.

— Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 8 July 2026

Definition of suspicious

Adjective

The looming project was why Purohit was nervous to move her mother into Silverado last winter.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
For most of the last decade the threat argument was a transatlantic one, with a nervous eastern flank pulling against a distracted west.

— Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of nervous

Adjective

Deeply skeptical of his diplomatic attempts with Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could view the president’s comments as an opening to continue operations both in Lebanon, against Hezbollah, or in Iran itself.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
As recently as last year, the bank’s executives were skeptical that ventures known for such voracious capital spending would be able to sustain their business models.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 July 2026

Definition of skeptical

Adjective

Black children experience higher rates of lactose intolerance, which meant many of my kids went the entire school day without clean, safe drinking water and instead milk that gave them an upset stomach.

— Joe Holberg, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Many party insiders thought Larson would cruise to victory at the party’s nominating convention, but Bronin pulled a stunning upset that sent shock waves through the Connecticut political establishment.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026

Definition of upset

Adjective

Supporters suggest these approaches could offer alternative financing structures, while critics note that long-term performance and adoption remain uncertain.

— Jason Phillips, USA Today, 10 July 2026
The more proactive, in contrast, would try to steer government R&D toward promising but uncertain conservation experiments.

— Taylor Dotson, Scientific American, 10 July 2026

Definition of uncertain

Adjective

Max is accompanied on his adventures by anxious robot C-3PO AB Sitter, and FX, a magical alien masquerading as a toy who can turn the kid's implausibly impressive sand sculptures into fully functioning robots.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 5 July 2026
America’s centennial in 1876 was celebrated with a grand exhibition that projected an image of national unity and inventiveness in the anxious aftermath of civil war and recession.

— The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 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 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of hinky

adjective

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