as in peered
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.
Related Words
Relevance
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 squinted
Pok squinted against his bedroom's harsh, swinging light.
—
Danielle Parker, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Dressed in periwinkle, Annie took off her shoes in front of the sunflowers, sat down, squinted into the sunlight and smiled.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026
Carson squinted at prices before hooking the fuel nozzle to the tank of his scarlet Buick.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2026
Giles cranked the boat back around, leaned out from behind the steering wheel and squinted past a bright glare on the water.
—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
The page squinted up at the nightingale, her dull feathers and stippled breast.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
The Babycatcher looked up at the sky and squinted.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Danielle Parker, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Dressed in periwinkle, Annie took off her shoes in front of the sunflowers, sat down, squinted into the sunlight and smiled.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026
Carson squinted at prices before hooking the fuel nozzle to the tank of his scarlet Buick.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2026
Giles cranked the boat back around, leaned out from behind the steering wheel and squinted past a bright glare on the water.
—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
The page squinted up at the nightingale, her dull feathers and stippled breast.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
The Babycatcher looked up at the sky and squinted.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squinted
Verb
-
Soon after the lockdown alarm blared through the school, a group of teachers in a teacher’s lounge peered out into the hallway and spotted a student near the library.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
-
The reporter peered outside and saw a group of mostly women being held by security.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
McDavid’s only goal was a somewhat fluky power-play tally that glanced off defenseman Pavel Mintyukov’s stick.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
With the Mets playing their infield in, Johnston's sharp grounder in the seventh glanced off second baseman Marcus Semien's glove for a two-run single.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ramzan looked to her, pleading, but Sakeena’s eyes only stared into their reflection on the glass patio door.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
-
The Nuggets stared into the eyes of a pack of Wolves, and blinked.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The Nuggets stared into the eyes of a pack of Wolves, and blinked.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
-
Hitchcock blinked rapidly as the drugs began flowing and took several deep breaths.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squinted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squinted. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
