wink 1 of 2

wink

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to blink
to rapidly open and close one's eyes she winked several times to get the dust and grit out of her eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in to twinkle
to shine with light at regular intervals a lighthouse was winking in the distance

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
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
Noun
There will be predictable calls for tanking now, for Miami to intentionally lose (wink, wink) with a very high draft pick the prize. Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025 In case that wasn't enough of a wink from the show's creators, there's a scene in the finale where the head nurse at the institution holding Gein advises him to write a book, noting that so many other people have taken liberties with his story. Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
Camera flashes burst against the walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, framing Blade Runner–esque vistas of the flickering skyline, a winking reminder that New York City is always wide awake. Alex Catarinella, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 The other early stars then wink out quickly, leaving the giant black hole to its own devices. Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wink
Noun
  • May your only labor be deciding between poolside, beachside, or bedside naps.
    Ilana Frost, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The victim was taking a nap after returning home from her accounting job when the assailant broke into her home.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Copyleaf Wide-leg Yoga Pants Hurry to get 40 percent off a trending pair of Amazon yoga pants that have sold every 15 minutes for the past month.
    Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The 18-year-old rookie also recorded two rebounds and two steals through 31 minutes of action.
    Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Yamamoto has rarely blinked since.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
  • His son stirred, half asleep, and blinked up at Khaled’s unfamiliar face.
    Mosab Abu Toha, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Gather friends and family in a cozy winter yurt, complete with fur blankets, warm drinks, twinkling lights, and festive bites and cocktails.
    Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
  • One can tell Jupiter from Pollux because planets tend to shine with steady light, whereas stars will twinkle.
    Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Critics see gleaming towers rising from desert sand and detect not ambition but emptiness — a city with an unlimited line of credit, but without a soul.
    Bobby Ghosh, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The West Wing’s White House represented a sacred workplace with gleaming wood and flattering lighting that was populated with smart people trying to do good for the country.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The lawsuit alleges Parker ignored concerns raised by several teachers and staff members, including that the student may have had a gun in his possession hours before the shooting.
    Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
  • In fact, they’d merely been habituated, the way a bird learns to ignore a rhino.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Her work in film and television has an undeniable heartbeat.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
  • From Principal Kafele, Rahh learned that culture is the heartbeat of a school.
    Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The movie begins with a 10-year-old Michael already showing the brutality for which The Shape was known, then flashes forward 15 years to an adult Michael (Tyler Mane) pursuing his younger sister, Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton).
    Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Since July 15, the Oscillator has not flashed either overbought or oversold, the longest stretch in this more normal territory in at least 20 years.
    Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wink. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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