1
as in cramps
a painful sudden tightening of a muscle
got a kink in my neck from lying in that awkward position for too long
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in tricks
an odd or peculiar habit
the boss's fondness for nicknames is one of those kinks that staffers just have to put up with
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whims
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
whenever he got a kink in his head, he'd drop whatever he was doing to pursue this latest obsession
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kinks
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
Valuations ‘can only be ignored for so long’ The AI race has seen some of the world’s largest companies’ market caps soar, but investors broadly agree that these tech giants have healthy balance sheets to fall back on if — or when — kinks in the burgeoning industry are ironed out.
—Tasmin Lockwood,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025
For a start-up electric vehicle manufacturer (Rivian delivered its first vehicle in 2021), issues such as these are to be expected as the brand irons out the kinks in production and development.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
What’s engaging is increasing the efficiency and ironing out the kinks.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The ceasefire is still working through kinks, as Hamas has refused to disarm despite the terms of the deal.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2025
But the offense that made history last year against the Bears is still working out some kinks to rediscover its identity.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Miller is navigating through the kinks, continuing to get acclimated with the taping of his wrist — something he’s been instructed to do — and working through the rust associated with not playing in an actual competitive game for nine months.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
The kinks in the passing offense wouldn’t be as worrisome if the Eagles’ vaunted running game weren’t also enduring its own.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
So, working on the labor and the kinks to drive it to full capacity.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
Valuations ‘can only be ignored for so long’ The AI race has seen some of the world’s largest companies’ market caps soar, but investors broadly agree that these tech giants have healthy balance sheets to fall back on if — or when — kinks in the burgeoning industry are ironed out.
—Tasmin Lockwood,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025
For a start-up electric vehicle manufacturer (Rivian delivered its first vehicle in 2021), issues such as these are to be expected as the brand irons out the kinks in production and development.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
What’s engaging is increasing the efficiency and ironing out the kinks.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
The ceasefire is still working through kinks, as Hamas has refused to disarm despite the terms of the deal.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2025
But the offense that made history last year against the Bears is still working out some kinks to rediscover its identity.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Miller is navigating through the kinks, continuing to get acclimated with the taping of his wrist — something he’s been instructed to do — and working through the rust associated with not playing in an actual competitive game for nine months.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
The kinks in the passing offense wouldn’t be as worrisome if the Eagles’ vaunted running game weren’t also enduring its own.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kinks
Noun
-
The vaccine campaign has been so effective that today, many pediatric medical residents have never encountered an infant hospitalized because of the infection, which can cause days of diarrhea, vomiting, cramps and fever.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The loss of fluids and electrolytes can cause lightheadedness, excessive thirst, and muscle cramps.—
Pamela Assid Woughter,
Verywell Health,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There is no one organizational system that fits every family and lifestyle, but there are some tips and tricks that help.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
10 Jan. 2026
-
So what are their go-to tricks for creating a space worth hibernating in?—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Not as freaks to be studied from afar, mimicked, and exploited for other people’s creative whims or amusement, but as complex and whole parts of the world worth exploring and celebrating.—
Sarah Kurchak,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Beyond immigration, Miller specializes in turning the president’s whims and rantings into government policy.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The medical ordeals are traumatic and disgusting, but fascinating and full of the quirks of modern life.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Though some of its '90s quirks may now feel a little passé, the WB fantasy show still stands as a feminist touchstone, breaking away from the 1992 film's damsel-in-distress trope to deliver a complex, empowered hero.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But a more recent line of research has pushed back against these notions, using statistical analysis to suggest that the apparent variations in response are just the result of measurement error and day-to-day biological variability.—
Outside,
Outside,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Beau McCall understands the affective power of buttons—these commonplace household notions have captured his imagination for decades.—
Alex Jovanovich,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dry all surfaces completely and replace knobs, drip pans, and coils back on the stove.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
As such, its defining characteristics are mostly tactile rather than visual.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
But there are other factors that needled their way into the evolutionary development of dormancy characteristics.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And all these considerations are preceded by the unpredictable, impossible-to-model vagaries of smoke itself.—
Nicola Twilley,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The vagaries of the administration’s plans stood out in contrast with the precision of Maduro’s capture.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kinks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kinks. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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