twinkle 1 of 2

noun

Definition of twinklenext
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 How to pronounce twinkle (audio)
1
as in to flash
to shine with light at regular intervals holiday decorations twinkled in the shop windows

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
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
Kutsuna has an impish twinkle; Yamada mutely swans about in a daze like an opium fiend. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 Thwarted by England’s tenacity and gregariousness, the twinkle-toed talisman and his team were staring down the barrel of a World Cup exit. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Verb
City lights streak by as stars twinkle in the distance in this image captured from aboard the International Space Station (ISS). — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026 The stage for Sheeran’s tour has a glittering circular screen set into its center, twinkling like a ring light. — Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for twinkle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for twinkle
  1. minute
  2. flash
  3. gleam
  4. heartbeat
  5. flicker
  6. sparkle
  7. second
  8. glint
Noun
  • Westport proper is a 10-or-so-minute drive away for shopping and strolling.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Both in jeans and black blazers, Ellison and Kreiz fielded questions from the national press for nearly 30 minutes on the lot’s Stage 3.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of minute
Verb
  • The fifth-round pick from Nebraska has flashed as both a runner and pass-catcher behind the Chiefs’ featured back.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
  • As Americans prepared to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday on the morning of July 4, sobering images flashed across their phones and TV screens.
    — James Bisbee, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of flash
Verb
  • That's particularly true at steakhouse Intrepid and open-air cantina 16o9—both of which are set above the harbor for incredible sunsets and clear views of the gleaming white super yachts.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • All this may be hard to imagine in the gleaming China of today.
    — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of gleam
Noun
  • Gabe wears a bracelet containing some of her final heartbeats and her fingerprint.
    — Ashley Sharp, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Hope still has a heartbeat, but that grows fainter by the loss.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of heartbeat
Verb
  • The journey moves through several rooms jumbling period French architecture, the first meekly lit with artificial moonlight and video monitors that flicker out from cracks in the wall.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The shadows of the trees swaying in the breeze flickered across it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of flicker
Verb
  • Even when Monét isn’t being quite as playful as on past releases, her personality sparkles brighter than her esteemed guests.
    — Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In the box office sensation Animal House (1978), directed by John Landis, Weller sparkled as the snooty Mandy, who’s dating the arrogant Omega House chapter president Gregory Marmalard (James Daughton).
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of sparkle
Noun
  • Jurors repeatedly reviewed surveillance video capturing the hours, minutes and seconds leading to the shooting before ultimately deadlocking on the homicide charges.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The ancient Egyptian city will experience an extraordinary 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality, close to the longest possible anywhere on Earth that day.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of second
Verb
  • Animals started tracking across the plain, their eyes glinting in the flashlights Cordova and Heimann swept back and forth.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The placement feels resonant, since Boorman was always operating between poles of glinting victory and laughable failure.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of glint

Browse Nearby Words

twining
twinkle
twinkled
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Cite this Entry

“Twinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twinkle. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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