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
OmniBook x Flip, a 2-in-1 laptop that can do it all, featuring a spacious 16-inch display with a sharp 2K resolution that will never leave you squinting, pinching to zoom, or switching orientations to better see what’s on your screen.
—
PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
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
Injuries or environmental irritants like smoke or chemicals can also trigger squinting, alongside symptoms like tearing or redness.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Berners-Lee, squinting, wasn’t so sure.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
DiCaprio makes a great, vital has-been, squinting at the horrors around him in disbelief, but mostly, driven by the need to protect his child.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
The mother-son duo posed for photos, with Valentino adorably squinting from the bright lights of the cameras.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
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
PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
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
Injuries or environmental irritants like smoke or chemicals can also trigger squinting, alongside symptoms like tearing or redness.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Berners-Lee, squinting, wasn’t so sure.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
DiCaprio makes a great, vital has-been, squinting at the horrors around him in disbelief, but mostly, driven by the need to protect his child.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
The mother-son duo posed for photos, with Valentino adorably squinting from the bright lights of the cameras.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squinting
Verb
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Altman stealing someone’s art and running for the door or peering through blinds in fear that Elon Musk was coming to take over OpenAI.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
9 Oct. 2025
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Gunshots slicing through the air from above sent visitors running for cover or peering out of their cars to investigate – some worried for family members inside the facility.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His lashes are long, the eyes deep-set, large and intense, staring piercingly into you.—
Touré,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The video shows a woman seated in a window seat staring ahead while listening to the pilot’s announcement on the plane.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Just by glancing at the periodic table, every metal could, in principle, serve as a cornerstone, and countless organic molecules can act as bridges connecting them.—
Stavroula Alina Kampouri,
The Conversation,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Miami got back in the game in the 39th minute when Tomás Avilés poked home from a goalmouth scramble after Sergio Busquets’s glancing header from a corner had been parried out by Chris Brady.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There are two blinking lights on the front of its boxy body to approximate wide, moony pupils.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Beyoncé went from disco-diva futurism on Renaissance to cowboy boots on Cowboy Carter without blinking.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Prep is back—just in time for fall flights and weekend leaf-peeping getaways.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Oct. 2025
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Central to the Ozarks’ appeal is that the area doesn’t garner the same fanfare as more famous leaf-peeping destinations.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To be sure, space agencies including NASA already have several sun-gazing spacecraft stationed to watch for solar activity.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
10 Oct. 2025
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Most weather and star-gazing apps will have them.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squinting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squinting. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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