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.
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Recent Examples of squinted
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
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
Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 11 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
-
Noel peered into the small window in the door and knocked.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
-
At one hospital, Vitek peered into the mouth of a sick Russian teenager and saw the thick greyish-white membrane covering a third of his throat.—
Patricia Callahan,
ProPublica,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
By contrast, the first Stars’ power play was brief, as Robertson fired a shot that glanced off Wild defenseman Jake Middleton and over the line for a 1-0 Dallas lead after the first period.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
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Yet DeSantis and legislative leaders haven’t even glanced in the direction of meaningful changes that would require Florida’s wealthiest corporations to pay their fair share, and reduce the burden on the struggling class of workers who make this state’s economy hum.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Maurice stared up at the video board at center ice while the video played, remaining stoic.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
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For anyone who has ever stared at a mysterious door, hatch, or panel in their home and wondered what was on the other side, Bareilles’ video serves as both entertainment and a cautionary tale.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the back-and-forth fourth quarter, the Lakers blinked first as Doncic missed a go-ahead jumper with 12 seconds left.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Venezuela, though, never blinked.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squinted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squinted. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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