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
Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Different colors are used on the jigs to signify what size drill bit to use so the workers don’t have to squint at fractional numbers on the boat.
—Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025
James Marcus, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Up on deck for a smoke afterward, Spencer squints at the horizon: Yep, that’s land in the distance.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squint
Verb
Berners-Lee, squinting, wasn’t so sure.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Different colors are used on the jigs to signify what size drill bit to use so the workers don’t have to squint at fractional numbers on the boat.
—Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
Fuller suffered from a curvature of the spine, which made her slouch, and from myopia, which made her squint.
—James Marcus, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Up on deck for a smoke afterward, Spencer squints at the horizon: Yep, that’s land in the distance.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squint
Verb
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In today's world, many people spend hours staring at computer screens, scrolling on their phones, and sitting in front of TVs to relax and decompress.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Oct. 2025
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Cats may stare at a certain spot in the room, or walk in to the room and start hissing for no apparent reason.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Oct. 2025
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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Lots of laughter, troubled gazes, leftovers.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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One spring day, Tan’s critical gaze landed on the work of freelance journalist Gil Duran, a tech-industry muckraker with a background in Democratic politics who was starting to take very seriously the right-wing political ambitions of San Francisco tech moguls.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On a sunny September afternoon, Pérez peered down the street outside her children’s school, scanning for suspicious vehicles.—
Melissa Sanchez,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
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Astronomers often use this effect to peer further into the ancient universe than would otherwise be possible.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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For instance, people with astigmatism benefit from toric lenses.—
Malana VanTyler,
AZCentral.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The six-inch, glare-free display makes reading easier on the eyes and includes a dark mode for nighttime reading.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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Car traffic, engine noise and the glare of the headlights eventually dissuaded it from crossing the asphalt barrier.—
Ganesh Marín,
The Dial,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Just by glancing at the periodic table, every metal could, in principle, serve as a cornerstone, and countless organic molecules can act as bridges connecting them.—
Stavroula Alina Kampouri,
The Conversation,
9 Oct. 2025
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After a solid start to the season, Goodwin dropped two passes in one drive against Nebraska, one that ricocheted off of his pads and another that glanced off of his hands in the end zone.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Cal Fire helicopter pilots will be training over three nights, starting Thursday, in the Sacramento area using night-vision goggles to enhance their ability to fight wildfires in the dark.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
10 Oct. 2025
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That vision probably inspires Bob to allow Willa to join the fight at the end of the film.—
Robert Daniels,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squint. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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