as in stares
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squints
Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
Wiesmair squints at his smartphone, which is logged on to a database of European moth species.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
And in a third, the gaunt 30-year-old killer flexes, purses his lips and squints.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, Charles squints at the phone.
—Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
Wiesmair squints at his smartphone, which is logged on to a database of European moth species.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squints
Noun
-
Everyone followed a similar sartorial rhythm, in sheer looks, black sparkles, and some cool-toned mint.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
30 Jan. 2026
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Honda has also generated a lot of buzz with its new CB1000F homage (below) to the beloved CB750F from the 1980s, and many of Harley-Davidson’s models carry on the looks and stance of models stretching back to the 1950s.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Another stares straight ahead, revealing no emotion, a mystery deepened by the bags under her eyes and the safety pin stabbed through her nose.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
13 Dec. 2025
-
In making the documentary, Craig stayed true to his and his brother’s body of work, which stares with unblinking eyes at the repercussions of violence.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The chandelier fixed squarely in the vaulted ceiling and the elegant milk glass lamps that lined the hallway cast their soft gazes downward.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Their gazes are bright, or disaffected, or longing.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The footage ends as the officer glances back toward the bench where the suspect was supposed to be handcuffed, before giving chase, with two other officers quickly darting out from behind the reception desk to join her.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Kent starts to laugh but glances quickly at the cameras.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Since it was released at the end of 2023, the hulking, angular vehicle has been subject to jokes about its appearance and glares from people who disagree with CEO Elon Musk’s politics.—
Andrea Guzmán,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Jan. 2026
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Saab recommends combining overhead lighting with wall sconces and table lamps to lend more flexibility while also avoiding harsh glares.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Every time the user blinks, their eyelid rubs against the PDMS contact lens.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
12 Jan. 2026
-
No one blinks an eye today at the kind of vivacious, confident woman Margaret Avery portrayed in The Color Purple.—
Diedre Johnson,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In full sunlight, the sands are as white as the heart of a palm but at dawn, the crystalline slopes turn slightly pink as the sun peers over the ocean.—
Anna Zacharias,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Jan. 2026
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And to say that its founder, Jimmy Wales, stands out among his tech-god peers for his commitment to impartiality and his lack of interest in either algorithms or monetization.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The hotel lies at the bottom of the Colombier area of the island where the grandest houses have been snapped up by the world’s wealthiest people, trying to get tantalizing peeks of them through the palms is a fun game.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
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Meghan has shared numerous looks at her Montecito home since rejoining Instagram in early 2025, from glimpses of their backyard to peeks inside the kitchen.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squints.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squints. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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