Synonyms of wink

wink 1 of 2

noun

1

as in nap

a short sleep

I wasn't able to catch a wink during the entire flight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nap
• doze
• snooze
• siesta
• catnap
• drowse
• forty winks
• kip
• rest
• slumber
• bed
• repose

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

• minute
• heartbeat
• second
• moment
• twinkle
• instant
• twinkling
• nanosecond
• split second
• jiffy
• trice
• shake
• flash
• beat
• eyeblink
• jiff
• New York minute
• microsecond
• snatch
• spurt

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• age
• eternity
• forever
• lifetime
• eon
• infinity

wink

2 of 2

verb

ˈwiŋk 

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

• blink
• squint
• flutter
• bat

2

as in to twinkle

to shine with light at regular intervals

a lighthouse was winking in the distance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• twinkle
• flash
• flicker
• blink
• sparkle
• glint
• glimmer
• flare
• shimmer
• glance
• glisten
• glitter
• spark
• scintillate
• glister
• spangle
• coruscate

3

as in to gleam

to shoot forth bursts of light

fireflies winking in the darkness beyond our campfire

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gleam
• twinkle
• glint
• flash
• shimmer
• sparkle
• shine
• glitter
• glimmer
• glisten
• glow
• glance
• flame
• scintillate
• winkle
• glister
• spangle
• coruscate
• luster
• beam
• blind
• dazzle
• flare
• radiate
• glare
• blaze
• daze
• bedazzle
• burn

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

• ignore
• forgive
• disregard
• tolerate
• connive
• excuse
• pardon
• overlook
• pass over
• brush (aside or off)
• gloss (over)
• shrug off
• condone
• gloze (over)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disapprove (of)
• deny
• refuse
• frown (on or upon)
• disallow

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wink

Noun

Adéla delivers these kinds of lyrics not with a wink, but with unwavering eye contact. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2026

Niemiller and his team have named the new species Demogorgonichthys arcanus, a wink to the otherworldly creature that emerged in a secret federal lab in the Netflix series Stranger Things. — Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026

Verb

Her lyrics, like those of many of her biggest musical influences, are dense texts, full of winking allusions and subtle references to records, bands, and albums that have shaped her own songwriting. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026

When an airless body, such as an asteroid, occults (or hides) a background star the star's light winks out in an instant, before suddenly reappearing. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Phrases Containing wink

• wink (at)
• wink (out)