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
In it, the student’s beaming; Kirk is squinting into the sun.
—
Rick Jervis, USA Today, 14 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
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
Rick Jervis, USA Today, 14 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
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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In a picture released by the Shin Bet, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Netanyahu’s chief of staff are seen peering over his shoulders.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
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That hasn’t stopped passers-by from peering through the windows.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When you're stuck staring at a blank page, your brain fills the space with doubt.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Gen Z is staring up from the bottom of the corporate ladder, but with AI job automation and economic headwinds, the prospect of landing a job—let alone climbing the greasy pole—is more daunting than ever.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Most executives can recite their gross margin, customer acquisition cost and debt-to-equity ratio without glancing at a dashboard.—
Heather Yerrid,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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As is, the film is somehow both glancing and melodramatic, a strange and underwhelming cocktail of blasé Euro sleekness and TV-movie drama.—
Richard Lawson,
IndieWire,
7 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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In the fall, the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway offers one of the Southeast’s most charming front-row seats to leaf-peeping season.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
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Leaf-peeping season is about to begin!—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
8 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 16 Sep. 2025.
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