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
Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Now, Renee Slegers’ side have ground to make up both domestically and in Europe, squinting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 8 Oct. 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
That said, blurry vision, squinting, and other factors could indicate a need to update a prescription.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Now, Renee Slegers’ side have ground to make up both domestically and in Europe, squinting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 8 Oct. 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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As the boat sails away, the Creature quietly stares into the sunrise with a smile on his face.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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The video teaser Chrli shared features eerie, horror film–like sound effects and the haunting sound of violins as Charli is pinned down by an elderly hand while staring directly into the camera.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 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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Others slammed it for catering to the male gaze and taking inspiration from Brooke Shields' controversial 1980 denim campaign.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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Eyes not on the sides of their heads, and a quick, macular gaze that isn’t like other animals’.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The project enabled reporters to peer into the still-private registry of beneficial owners, a list of who actually is behind companies registered in Luxembourg, people like Ansary, NBA legend Magic Johnson and even the brother of a powerful general who controls levers of the Cuban economy.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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To assess with how the righteous American dream grew distorted, Makowsky’s series (directed by Matt Ross) peers all the way past our 25 most recent presidents to find the long-term lessons in our country’s second-shortest presidency.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 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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Caesar and Coca were soon joined on the show by the diminutive Howard Morris, whom Caesar could hoist from the ground and glare at face to face, and by Carl Reiner, tall like Caesar but as happy as Sid was miserable—the ideal second banana.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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Despite the glare, the family had smiles on their faces, with Diana lovingly holding Harry's hand.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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People glanced over but mostly carried on with their meals.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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James Bond glanced up, a gun hanging limply from his trigger finger.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Spirited, political, and deeply kind individuals, the Christos were passionately devoted to their artistic vision.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Ralph has continued to grace the stage as a vision of strength and style.—
Donnetta Monk,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squint. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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