as in peering
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 squinting
An overly wide eye may mean that your dog is feeling threatened, while a small or squinting eye may suggest fear or stress.
—
Dawn Kovell, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
After noticing her sibling was squinting during a pool party, the actor invited him to pick a pair from his collection to keep.
—Daysia Tolentino, EW.com, 16 Aug. 2025
The second photo, however, shows a complete change in demeanor, with the pup squinting at his owner, a clear expression of betrayal.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
Dawn Kovell, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
After noticing her sibling was squinting during a pool party, the actor invited him to pick a pair from his collection to keep.
—Daysia Tolentino, EW.com, 16 Aug. 2025
The second photo, however, shows a complete change in demeanor, with the pup squinting at his owner, a clear expression of betrayal.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squinting
Verb
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The team met briefly in an office park but split up after workers started peering at their SUVs with tinted windows.—
Elliot Spagat,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Known for raising his arms like a human DeLorean while peering in for his sign, Kimbrel has been prone to bouts of wildness.—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Irish are 0-1 and staring at an idle weekend with plenty to work on after a 27-24 loss in Miami on the Sunday night of Week 1.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
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But after weeks of staring at bare ground, a few green shoots pushed through the dark silt.—
Lila Hempel-Edgers,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Standing by the couch, he's shown staring at the television screen in intrigue, before glancing back at his daughters watching the film.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
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Stylistically, these are bold choices, even if the film can feel too understated and glancing for its own good.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In addition to a healthy contingent of federal firefighters, federal workers from the departments of agriculture, the interior, and others have a strong presence in the town, which has a lone blinking stop-and-go traffic light and no parking meters.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Since then, key changes to the costume have included the introduction of a more rounded, less cartoonish head — one that later evolved to allow for blinking and mouth movement.—
Virginia Chamlee,
People.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Pick one of the gateway towns to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, like Gatlinburg, Tennessee, or Bryson City, North Carolina, and set off on your leaf-peeping long weekend.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
4 Sep. 2025
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That's earlier than average, said Pastelok, who suggested Hoosiers in the northern part of the state do their leaf peeping early.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Jämsén sees this series as being about gazing at the water, rather than being glued to a large screen or cocktail bar inside.—
Tristan Rutherford,
Robb Report,
8 Sep. 2025
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The self-reflexive qualities of the work go further, and the film can surely be read as a statement about the limits and possibilities of a totally analogue and backwards-gazing practice.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squinting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squinting. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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