TWINKLE Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

twinkle 1 of 2

noun

Definition of twinkle

as in minute

a very small space of time in just a twinkle, the shooting star was gone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

twinkle

2 of 2

verb

ˈtwiŋ-kəl

as in to flash

to shine with light at regular intervals holiday decorations twinkled in the shop windows

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to gleam

to shoot forth bursts of light stars twinkling on a crisp September night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of twinkle

Noun

And Georges delivers—come for the smart, international menu and panoramic views over Paris (especially appealing at night, when the Eiffel Tower twinkles with light). — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026 Kutsuna has an impish twinkle; Yamada mutely swans about in a daze like an opium fiend. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Verb

The vast auditorium offered a sense of intimacy with floating clouds and twinkling lights like a visitor would still see at the Music Box Theatre in Lakeview today. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Guests then gathered in the gardens for cocktails before moving to an outdoor dinner reception beneath a canopy of twinkling string lights. — Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for twinkle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for twinkle

Noun

What to do nearby As with other safaris, days are bookended by morning and afternoon game drives, set largely around the east side of Madikwe, where the lodge is based (15 minutes from the airstrip).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
Jake LaRavia picked up his fourth foul with eight minutes and two seconds left in the second quarter.

— Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of minute

Verb

Some of the boldest convictions come from the executives at the top of firms whose economists are flashing warning lights.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
As the dark countryside of western Oregon flashed by, Madsen opted to watch a show on his phone — then a text from a random number popped up at the top of his screen.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of flash

Verb

Spread out across expansive work stations that resemble gleaming kitchen cubicles, chefs spend their days whipping up meals from soup to nuts, a laboratory of sorts to create appetizing and easy dinners to make at home.

— Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Spotting the lights less than a mile from his home, Wittlin turned onto a side street and pulled his gleaming red Pontiac Firebird over.

— Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of gleam

Noun

And down on the court at what is now M&T Bank Center at Gampel Pavilion on campus or PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, there must be standard bearers, the current flesh and heartbeat and faces of UConn basketball.

— Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 30 Oct. 2026
Her team found a 77% higher rate of irregular heartbeats during the six weeks around the 2016 election, compared with a control period.

— Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of heartbeat

Verb

Surfaces glow with darting light, the beehive smoke and silhouettes and flickering neon lulls the viewer to a state conducive to such pondering.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
The shadows of derelict city vehicles flickered against the distant back wall as the light operator sped up, frantically searching for partying concertgoers.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of flicker

Verb

Or for a truly boisterous experience, head to Wrigleyville’s Santa Baby, a multilevel extravaganza with hundreds of sparkling ornaments, candy-cane walls, real-life Santas, and themed food and drinks.

— Allison Yates, Midwest Living, 3 Nov. 2026
Make a refreshing mocktail with a sprig of rosemary plus equal parts unsweetened cranberry juice and club soda or sparkling water.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of sparkle

Noun

With 13 seconds left and third down at the Braves’ 12, Guess threw the ball up toward the end zone and Brown, his best friend since the age of 6, caught it for a touchdown.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
Eventually the inevitability of gravity brings them close enough to suddenly merge, sending out a tremendous blast of matter and energy that can outshine the sun by a factor of many billions, though just for the briefest fraction of a second.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of second

Verb

The long curtains of the banquet room had been thrown open to the morning, and every object—tea service, silver filigree on chopstick handles—glinted like treasure.

— Christopher Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2026
Two great blue herons lift off from the water’s edge and coast along a breeze as the sun glints off their wings.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of glint

Browse Nearby Words

twining

twinkle

twinkled

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Style

“Twinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twinkle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of twinkle

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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