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
On a street by the harbor, crowds of people were squinting into the distance, exclaiming every time the whale exhaled.
—
Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026
Whether 2026 is the year, or just the year fans started squinting at the schedule, is the watercooler question worth holding onto until that first Monday in May.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The family smiles while dressed casually and barefoot, squinting from the sun's rays.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Most people have been there, squinting at a chart from their physician's portal with zero context.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Needless to say, there was much squinting at computer screens.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The comic spent some minutes zooming in on and squinting at the photo, putting his hand on his head to ascertain the resemblance.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
And squinting is not necessary to see a vision for him.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
Those last 20 minutes are pretty engaging, even if some of that engagement is squinting to see and interpret what’s going on.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026
Whether 2026 is the year, or just the year fans started squinting at the schedule, is the watercooler question worth holding onto until that first Monday in May.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The family smiles while dressed casually and barefoot, squinting from the sun's rays.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Most people have been there, squinting at a chart from their physician's portal with zero context.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Needless to say, there was much squinting at computer screens.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The comic spent some minutes zooming in on and squinting at the photo, putting his hand on his head to ascertain the resemblance.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
And squinting is not necessary to see a vision for him.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
Those last 20 minutes are pretty engaging, even if some of that engagement is squinting to see and interpret what’s going on.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squinting
Verb
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Surveillance video provided by police shows two men dressed in all black, wearing masks, walking through the complex and peering into parked cars.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
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To many consumers peering in from the outside, the options in China – on display in Beijing this week at the world’s largest auto show – seem like a dream.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Verb
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So, sometimes silence and solitude is necessary, and just like sitting on a plane watching nothing, doing nothing, just staring blankly at … it's called raw-dogging a flight.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
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According to the criminal complaint in that case, a woman at a coffee shop drive-thru reported seeing a man, later identified as Trepanier, at the back of the building with his pants down and masturbating while staring at her.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Illustrations by Thomas Merceron Even glancing contact between a passenger car and a semi truck is often enough to send the smaller vehicle pinwheeling across the highway.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The pup can be seen glancing around his kennel with teary eyes, appearing scared and confused.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The only things brighter than Dylan Groenewegen’s pink and blue sleeves are the blinking camera lights around him, all videographers belonging to his Unibet Rose Rockets team.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
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Several cars, some with hazard lights blinking, appeared to have been picked up by the storm.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
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An extremely nosy alligator was found sitting on the porch of a coastal North Carolina home, peeping through the glass storm door, photos show.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Apr. 2026
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During fall leaf-peeping season, traffic on the pass has to be regulated.—
Jonathan Shikes,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Other communities, such as Malibu, have developed ordinances to reduce glare and artificial light, as has Joshua Tree National Park, a star-gazing haven that is designated an International Dark Sky Park.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Or, if you'd rather be cocooned in greenery than gazing at the Pacific, one of the two treehouse-style suites nestled in the property's garden is a dreamy alternative.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squinting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squinting. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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