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
Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
Amid the eucalyptus groves at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, local bug enthusiast Sasha Hernandez squinted through the draping green leaves, searching for flashes of black and orange — the wings of migratory monarch butterflies traveling from west of the Rocky Mountains.
—Olivia Maule, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025
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
The pup, named Eba, appeared immune to being rushed and trotted behind at the farthest extent of her leash, tongue lolling, black eyes squinting in the afternoon sun.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
Amid the eucalyptus groves at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, local bug enthusiast Sasha Hernandez squinted through the draping green leaves, searching for flashes of black and orange — the wings of migratory monarch butterflies traveling from west of the Rocky Mountains.
—Olivia Maule, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025
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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Social media users have stared deep into that footage, and some have seen their own reflection.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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What's captivating enough about Freescape's van that show goer after show goer can't help but to stop and stare, at least momentarily, is the unique pop-up roof system, a patented design that's being called the first of its kind.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Jan. 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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The chandelier fixed squarely in the vaulted ceiling and the elegant milk glass lamps that lined the hallway cast their soft gazes downward.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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The film follows Kenji Onishi, a young person who dreams of becoming an idol but struggles with identity under society’s judgmental gaze.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In 2002, the Sanctuarium started to appear on the skyline, peering down like the Eye of Sauron.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Nearby, a mating pair of wild swans that live on the lake peered over the fence.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 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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Under the roof — with the glare gone, the temperature easing across the third and fourth sets and the radiated heat from the court plummeting — the momentum swung.—
John Pye,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2026
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Originally a bright photography studio with skylights, the room was transformed into a low-light space to eliminate glare on the digital screens and Wacom tablets used for ZBrush sculpting.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The footage ends as the officer glances back toward the bench where the suspect was supposed to be handcuffed, before giving chase, with two other officers quickly darting out from behind the reception desk to join her.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
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After the match, the two exchanged a cursory handshake with Cirstea barely glancing in Osaka’s direction.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Its onboard computer vision allows real-time detection and target tracking without external control, marking a significant step toward fully autonomous battlefield systems.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
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For Jonathan Anderson’s vision of beauty at his first Dior women’s show in October, Guido Palau fluffed up models’ natural texture, not dissimilar from the windswept waves and pre-Raphaelite curls the hairstylist created for Veronica Leoni’s September Calvin Klein debut.—
Arden Fanning Andrews,
Vogue,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squint. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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