as in to stare
to take a look with the eyes narrowed (as because of difficulty seeing)
He squinted in her direction, but couldn't make her out with the sun behind her.
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1
as in strabismus
British
difficulty in seeing resulting from improper alignment of the eyes
The child was born with a squint that was eventually corrected through surgery.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squint
New Atlas, 30 Jan. 2026
The earlier of Sunday’s two title games, after some squinting, will feature the Denver Broncos hosting the New England Patriots led by quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Drake Maye, respectively.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squint
Verb
View gallery - 4 images Soldering frequently involves hunching in and squinting at the fiddly task at hand, or performing that task under an unmoving magnifying glass.
—New Atlas, 30 Jan. 2026
The earlier of Sunday’s two title games, after some squinting, will feature the Denver Broncos hosting the New England Patriots led by quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Drake Maye, respectively.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
And in a third, the gaunt 30-year-old killer flexes, purses his lips and squints.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squint
Verb
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The staring contest continues, even as the administration gets itself involved in a war.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
2 Mar. 2026
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Before sunrise, on a frigid, frozen lake south of Madison, Wisconsin, Zach Feiner is staring at a buzzing screen.—
Berly McCoy,
NPR,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Barrel Cards The barrel card exercise can help improve symptoms of strabismus (crossed eyes).—
Laura Schober,
Health,
12 Feb. 2025
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One of his conditions, strabismus,has also been reported by researchers to be behind the genius of Leonardo da Vinci, allowing the painter to perceive the world differently and facilitating his accurate depiction of three-dimensional objects on flat surfaces.—
Maya Davis,
CNN,
4 Aug. 2024
Noun
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Each operates as an autonomous theoretical terrain and evolves with the gaze that encounters them.—
Elinore Weil,
Artforum,
4 Mar. 2026
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The artists share an attraction to the gleaming counters and alluring rows of postwar consumer culture, but Parr holds his gaze longer, seeking the nausea after the binge.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Outside of ChiArts, two students leaned outside of the building’s second-floor windows, peering down towards the crowd gathering below.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
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Ballantyne got out of bed and peered through the cabin window.—
Francesca Street,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Benjamin Franklin would invent bifocals in 1874, Thomas Young would spot the uneven curvature of the cornea (astigmatism) in 1801, and steel wire would be developed in metal frames after 1837.—
Daniel Fusch,
Ascend Agency,
11 Nov. 2025
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Myopia is when someone can see objects close-up but their vision becomes blurred when looking at objects farther away, and astigmatism is a condition in which either the eye’s cornea or lens has a different shape than normal, causing blurred vision.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Before the eclipse begins, and during the initial (and final) penumbral phases of the eclipse — when the moon is moving through the Earth’s fuzzy outer shadow — a moon filter will reduce glare, boost contrast and make the view much more comfortable.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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Glass itself is not invisible, her films just cut out the glare.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Argyle players storm the court as a Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill player glances at the overhead scoreboard after Argyle prevailed in a 51-42 victory to claim the state championship.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
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Everton opened the scoring in the 19th minute, when Jarrad Branthwaite glanced a James Garner corner in via the far post.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While both candidates held progressive policy positions on issues like healthcare, the difference between them centered on communication style, with Talarico’s softer rhetorical approach resonating with voters through appeals to unity and a vision of hope[1].—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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Talarico is a vision of a Democratic future reminiscent of high points from the Party’s recent past—rhetorical precision, hopes, dreams.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squint. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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