1
2
as in minute
a very small space of time
I turned to look away, and in a wink he was gone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
3
as in to gleam
to shoot forth bursts of light
fireflies winking in the darkness beyond our campfire
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to ignore
to secretly sympathize with or pretend ignorance of something improper or unlawful
the whole sporting world seems to wink as untold sums are bet on the outcome of the Super Bowl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 wink
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
Carpenter is plainly a student of Parton’s, evoking her pinup styling (voluminous hair, big red lips), her persona (sharp with a knowing wink), and her voice, which is rich and husky and accompanied by a country lilt.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
Both a send-up of, and winking tribute to, the splendor and ridiculousness of industry awards shows, Yang and Rogers started the Culture Awards in 2022, spinning off the bit from their hit podcast, Las Culturistas.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wink
Noun
There are a lot of subtle winks like that in the series, including someone other than Kyle MacLachlan playing a character named Agent Cooper, and even a reference to Hawke’s hilarious, thunderously great performance as John Brown in The Good Lord Bird.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
Carpenter is plainly a student of Parton’s, evoking her pinup styling (voluminous hair, big red lips), her persona (sharp with a knowing wink), and her voice, which is rich and husky and accompanied by a country lilt.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
But when the lights go off and consciousness winks out, another, deeper process goes to work.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
Both a send-up of, and winking tribute to, the splendor and ridiculousness of industry awards shows, Yang and Rogers started the Culture Awards in 2022, spinning off the bit from their hit podcast, Las Culturistas.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wink
Noun
-
Everything seems to be going Laura’s way until one afternoon, after Daniel has been put down for his nap — that’s how the dialogue sounds — things get steamy with Howard.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
No amount of naps, no amount of sleep could refresh me.—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Some like to get to the airport very early, with time for a full picnic, while others are dashing in at the last minute while downing a protein bar.—
Jessie Beck,
AFAR Media,
16 Sep. 2025
-
In April, Tien Kung Ultra became the first robot to finish a half-marathon, completing the 21-kilometer course in Beijing in 2 hours and 40 minutes.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The blinking red light is obviously kicker Matt Gay, who missed field goal attempts from 58 and 52 yards Thursday.—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The forward has expressed disinterest in being used as a scapegoat for Golden State, which is why the negotiations have not made any progress given both parties are reluctant to blink first.—
Valentina Martinez,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And when the sun sets, the prairie’s endless horizon really shines—welcoming bright, twinkling stars.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The white beard, the twinkling eyes behind round spectacles, the mustache curled with wax at its ends are all real, all his.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Marble floors gleamed beneath towering columns, and the chandeliers cast a warm, golden light.—
Maggie Downs,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Megan Moroney, Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow brought the shine to their section in their gleaming ensembles.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That many in the media have ignored the unit’s rise is an indictment.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Amid all its glorious and aesthetic architecture lies the massive environmental impact that cannot be ignored.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Examples of these processes can be found throughout nature, from the unpredictable rise and fall of stock market values to the irregular heartbeat cadence.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Using its optical heart sensor, the watch reviews how your blood vessels respond to heartbeats over 30-day periods.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The first photo in the carousel showed Brooks posing with her arms wrapped around her husband-to-be, flashing her ring as the couple posed for the camera in the black-and-white shot.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wink. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share