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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kinks
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 8 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, 25 Mar. 2026
In most materials, kinks face energy barriers that hold them in place.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Mar. 2026
But there are kinks that need to be worked out, including some plot hysterics (a burning of a house is too over the top) that throw it off its comedy tracks.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Al-Rashid has an opportunity to iron out the kinks before spending substantially more cash on his dream boat.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2026
As for relaxation, the lodge has a heated outdoor pool, fire pits, and a full-service spa to work out those post-ski kinks.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
My now-husband and I were newly a couple and still working out the kinks and crumples in an evolving relationship.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Councilmembers Sean Elo-Rivera and Kent Lee, who initially backed the fees, urged Gloria to pause them until the kinks are worked out of the system.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
Perhaps pitchers and umpires are simply adjusting to the new technology, and by midsummer any early kinks will be forgotten.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 8 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, 25 Mar. 2026
In most materials, kinks face energy barriers that hold them in place.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Mar. 2026
But there are kinks that need to be worked out, including some plot hysterics (a burning of a house is too over the top) that throw it off its comedy tracks.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Al-Rashid has an opportunity to iron out the kinks before spending substantially more cash on his dream boat.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2026
As for relaxation, the lodge has a heated outdoor pool, fire pits, and a full-service spa to work out those post-ski kinks.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
My now-husband and I were newly a couple and still working out the kinks and crumples in an evolving relationship.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Councilmembers Sean Elo-Rivera and Kent Lee, who initially backed the fees, urged Gloria to pause them until the kinks are worked out of the system.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kinks
Noun
-
Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
9 Apr. 2026
-
People often feel tired first, before experiencing intense kidney pain, severe sweating and vomiting, full body cramps and spasms and a fierce sense of doom.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Small visual tricks are ubiquitous yet nothing here feels tacky.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
There are likely between 20,000 and 50,000 species of mycorrhizal fungi, each with its own tricks for tapping into different plants and harvesting nutrients using enzymes, acids, and water-mining structures.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the fifth and final season of The Boys, the world is completely subject to Homelander’s erratic, egomaniacal whims.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
-
And few issues provide more difficulties in implementing his changing whims than a war in the Middle East.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But make no mistake, Bamford carries the series, tapping into her vast assortment of voices and quirks to disguise her character’s insecurity about existing in her own skin.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The work ethic is there, but so are the routines, the quirks, the quietness, the edge.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Breakaway notions, such as ‘Calexit,’ are fanciful, but the discontent driving them is real.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Advice or even just notions—only check email after noon; never do 10 reps of crunches—solidify into absolutism or vanish.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 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
-
The unusual characteristics of dark matter have prompted scientists to search beyond the standard model of particle physics for particles that could comprise it.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
10 Apr. 2026
-
This is particularly important for individuals who have concealed their characteristics and do not meet the autism or ADHD descriptions.—
Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 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 13 Apr. 2026.
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