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
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
The wink is included in the message.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 May 2026
Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 17 May 2026
But the setting isn’t, say, a fairy tale village or a mermaid kingdom under the sea, to point at two Disney classics the film gives winking reference to.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wink
Noun
Dubbed the Velvet Gang, the trio snatches the overpriced, often monochromatic fashion threads designed by Christie Smith (Demi Moore, in a performance of comedic genius), a pretentious piece of work who stations herself in a leaning building (wink, win to San Francisco there).
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
The wink is included in the message.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 May 2026
Verb
Two guys at the golf course are winking, and whispering, and tipping each other off.
—Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 17 May 2026
But the setting isn’t, say, a fairy tale village or a mermaid kingdom under the sea, to point at two Disney classics the film gives winking reference to.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wink
Noun
-
The safety case is primary; the sleep-quality benefit for nap time is secondary, but both matter.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
This was, it should be stressed, all a part of the grand strategy at Liverpool where the cult of the manager either died or has taken a nap since the departure of Klopp, whose force was so great that he was left with little structure to support him.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Marina Mall are just a 10-minute cab ride away.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
Sorry, this episode is an hour and forty-five minutes long?—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The cushion is running out So far, consumers haven’t blinked.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
-
There are respectful blink-and-you’ll-miss-them nods to the tournament’s other co-hosts, Mexico and Canada – some flags, maple syrup and a guacamole dip – and the French even found a way to shout out some of their sponsors and partners.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The Danish band’s newfound brightness is apparent from the start, as the album opens with twinkling glockespiel.—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
2 June 2026
-
This twinkling turquoise-and-peach set looks like a treasure waiting to be discovered at the bottom of the ocean.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The modern kitchen, with gleaming marble countertops, leads to a punchy red-orange dining room heated up by a corner fireplace.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
1 June 2026
-
Others lay flat on the cold desert sand, getting tips on how to make their mobile phones take long-exposure pictures to see the galaxy gleaming overhead.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
That’s how Ciara found out that Amanda was spending so much time at West’s house while ignoring her calls.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
-
Chow's son testified that the gun was pointed at him, and defense lawyer Shaun Kent said during his closing argument that Cyrus ignored Chow telling him to put it down.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Rather than relying solely on external commands, the system monitors the insect’s heartbeat, neural activity, and body motion to determine its internal state and decide whether stimulation should be applied.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
-
Doctors and nurses with Doppler machines and ultrasounds kept showing up, forcing them to hear the heartbeat and see the movement of a tiny body.—
Kavitha Surana,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri have the best chances for strong to severe storms and flash flooding overnight into Friday.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
-
There was a sudden flourishing of knives, blades flashing in the market lights.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wink. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
