squint 1 of 2

verb

Definition of squintnext
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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squint

2 of 2

noun

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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2
as in stare
chiefly British an especially brief instance of looking Take a squint at this!

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of squint
Verb
Getting there requires a bit of squinting. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 20 June 2026 And though the wave is turning, Ahn is already squinting at the horizon for the next one. — Joshua Encinias, IndieWire, 17 June 2026
Noun
And his method is when in doubt, squint. — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026 First, your jack-o-lantern's eyes start to squint. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for squint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squint
  1. stare
  2. strabismus
  3. gaze
  4. peer
  5. astigmatism
  6. glare
  7. glance
  8. vision
Verb
  • Kenzo had inclined his head over his invalid daughter and was staring at her intently.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Along the way, Brees stared NFL QB nobility in the face and took each player down one by one.
    — Larry Holder, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of stare
Noun
  • The teen now hopes that EYEVA could one day help those with strabismus on a large scale, and perhaps prevent many from needing invasive corrective surgery.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Barrel Cards The barrel card exercise can help improve symptoms of strabismus (crossed eyes).
    — Laura Schober, Health, 12 Feb. 2025
Definition of strabismus
Noun
  • As his gaze is drawn back from the stack of bikes, his internal mockery morphs into visible confusion.
    — Tom Campbell, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The third-year safety followed Maye’s gaze and jumped the pass.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of gaze
Verb
  • People mill around, peering into the Jeep, captured by a shaky camera that someone is streaming live to Instagram.
    — Sydney Brownstone, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
  • About an hour and a half later, while peering over police tape blocking off the road in front of the campus, Kelly-Tuason lamented the violence that rattled the school and the surrounding neighborhood.
    — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
Definition of peer
Noun
  • Keratoconus often causes high degrees of irregular astigmatism, which is an imperfection in the curvature of the cornea that leads to blurry vision.
    — Neelam Patadia, The Conversation, 27 May 2026
  • 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
Definition of astigmatism
Noun
  • There was no notion of beam pattern or glare control at first, just basic visibility in otherwise unlit environments.
    — Matthew MacConnell, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Totality reveals the solar corona — the sun’s outer atmosphere — normally hidden by its glare.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of glare
Verb
  • As the loops build, the lines glance off one another, ricocheting back and forth—an on-the-nose but effective arrangement for a song about being in a holding pattern.
    — Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Zack finds a smile for his mother at the patio table; Tom glances over his shoulder at nothing before Natalie joins him at the grill.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026
Definition of glance
Noun
  • His passion for gastronomy and an unquestionable business vision led him to open his first restaurant in Los Angeles.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In that time, artificial intelligence has progressed from emergent language and vision applications to the primary driver of software creation.
    — Michael Wee, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of vision

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Cite this Entry

“Squint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squint. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on squint

Nglish: Translation of squint for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about squint

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