as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance
for too long the school just winked at the young athletes' hooliganism, dismissing it as a case of "boys being boys"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wink (at)
Verb
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Donald Trump promised to go after the worst of the worst, but his administration's heavy-handed tactics in many cases ignore people's constitutional rights and the rule of law.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025 -
Having said that, beachgoers have already been ignoring signs and fencing to get to the beach, especially on weekends.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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On the other side, Israel’s demolition and occupation of much of Gaza has made Palestinians all the less willing to reconcile with and forgive Israel.—
DANIEL BYMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
28 July 2025
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Part of the cost of replacing lead lines in New London is being covered by a $6.9 million federal loan, a portion of which will be forgiven.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Through intimate and silent visuals, the film explores the quiet resilience of those who are overlooked.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 July 2025
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Generations of Popes had enjoyed the use of the mansion, which overlooks a volcanic lake and is surrounded by spectacular terraced gardens.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Police officials will explain how the new police drones can be remotely deployed and piloted toward the scene of an incident from docks placed across the city.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
26 July 2025
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Upright vacuum cleaners typically have bigger motors, which generate more powerful suction, Ho explains.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
25 July 2025
Verb
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However, the Commission did not indicate any sudden or unexpected event that would justify the urgency.—
Jon McGowan,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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Lay of the land Advocates for the Golden Dome point to recent events to justify the program.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
23 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Wink (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wink%20%28at%29. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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