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
Jocelyn Gecker, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The hose needs to lay out in a smooth line without kinks; not all hoses will work.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
The Marlins started testing this strategy in the minors at the beginning of the 2025 season, working through the kinks before debuting it in the majors in mid-September.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Students in the class this semester are redesigning the AI agent to smooth out some kinks, and Ipeirotis plans to use it in all his future classes.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
There are also some kinks to work out with Orion going forward.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Both are fairly common kinks, but that doesn’t mean people appreciated the way they were presented.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Apr. 2026
Work out some kinks, focus down.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 13 Apr. 2026
Working through the kinks The Bruins’ offense was on its heels for most of the morning.
—Gabriel Duarte, Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
Students in the class this semester are redesigning the AI agent to smooth out some kinks, and Ipeirotis plans to use it in all his future classes.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The hose needs to lay out in a smooth line without kinks; not all hoses will work.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
The Marlins started testing this strategy in the minors at the beginning of the 2025 season, working through the kinks before debuting it in the majors in mid-September.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Students in the class this semester are redesigning the AI agent to smooth out some kinks, and Ipeirotis plans to use it in all his future classes.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
There are also some kinks to work out with Orion going forward.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Both are fairly common kinks, but that doesn’t mean people appreciated the way they were presented.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Apr. 2026
Work out some kinks, focus down.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 13 Apr. 2026
Working through the kinks The Bruins’ offense was on its heels for most of the morning.
—Gabriel Duarte, Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kinks
Noun
-
To complain about cramps was futile.—
Nami Mun,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
-
Menstrual cramps occur when the myometrium contracts to expel the uterine lining.—
Geri Stengel,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Talent can be seen everywhere, as some students have been able to incorporate back flips and other tricks to elevate their game.—
Marcella Baietto,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
Regular Maintenance Is Key Even with helpful tricks and ideal placement, regular cleaning remains the most effective way to keep algae under control.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
In 1922, Reverend Bowler took to the pages of the national Chicago Defender to advise Black passengers to leave nothing to chance or the whims of railroad employees or law enforcement when traveling the rails.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
-
Washington was never meant to be an anthology of presidential whims.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The children are all remembered for their quirks and love of family.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
One of the new quirks of the 2026 schedule involves Watkins Glen International, site of this weekend’s Cup Series race, shifting from its longstanding late summer date to Mother’s Day weekend.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Atlanta — Going into retirement, 58-year-old David White of Atlanta, Georgia, had some preconceived notions.—
Steve Hartman,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
-
With a cast drawn from comedy-scene friends such as Kate Berlant and Conner O’Malley all tuned into a very specific wavelength, the movie somehow surpasses conventional notions of camp and irony to exist in a genuinely unique space all its own.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
When startled, the snake coils its body into a figure-eight shape or raises its tail to mimic another head and confuse predators.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
Dry all surfaces completely and replace knobs, drip pans, and coils back on the stove.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Jean-Claude Manuguerra, who heads Pasteur's Environment and Infectious Risk unit, said the remaining variation appeared to reflect natural viral variation and did not seem to affect the characteristics of the virus detected among travelers.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
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Flock Safety's license plate reader technology captures vehicle information, including license plates and vehicle characteristics such as make, model and color on the property.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
There were plenty of ordinary and dismissive explanations for what had happened, all related to the vagaries of the brain.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
-
As a result, those close to him have felt that there have been some vagaries around his role within the team since his arrival.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kinks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kinks. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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