1
2
3
as in gleamed
to shoot forth bursts of light
fireflies winking in the darkness beyond our campfire
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in ignored
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
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Recent Examples of winked
Sartorial outerwear crafted from archival fabrics mingled with pieces that winked to utility and workwear, with a few styles looking to balance these two souls in a single design, such as double wool hooded capes and coats.
—
Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 2 Mar. 2026
Stayton then reportedly winked and told the protester they'd be charged with a felony.
—Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Nov. 2025
Farther up, on Observatory Hill, tall cryptomeria trees were silhouetted in the darkening evening, and down in the valleys, lights winked on like reflections of the planets and stars appearing in the sky.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
The last ember of Rope A winked out.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
With both drugs, the alignment of brain waves shifted in similar ways as the animals’ consciousness waned and then winked out.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Dangling like Christmas ornaments, the aluminum plates winked in the sun, evoking Yuletide in the depths of July.
—Monitor Contributors, Christian Science Monitor, 11 July 2025
Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 2 Mar. 2026
Stayton then reportedly winked and told the protester they'd be charged with a felony.
—Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Nov. 2025
Farther up, on Observatory Hill, tall cryptomeria trees were silhouetted in the darkening evening, and down in the valleys, lights winked on like reflections of the planets and stars appearing in the sky.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
The last ember of Rope A winked out.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
With both drugs, the alignment of brain waves shifted in similar ways as the animals’ consciousness waned and then winked out.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Dangling like Christmas ornaments, the aluminum plates winked in the sun, evoking Yuletide in the depths of July.
—Monitor Contributors, Christian Science Monitor, 11 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winked
Verb
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The electricity went out at New Terrain Brewing Company in east Golden for about 36 hours, was on for a few hours and blinked out again for hours.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
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So who actually blinked first and who really came out on top?—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Before a big night out or even just dinner with friends, lids twinkled, cheekbones caught the light from every angle, and lip gloss doubled as a mirror.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Animated pixie dust twinkled on the screen, courtesy of the fairy, Tinker Bell.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Its façade was covered with white tiles that gleamed in the morning light.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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That experience — viewing such an alien terrain at close range as the sun gleamed over the horizon, highlighting the troughs and peaks of a foreign land — brought home for the crew how unique our home planet is.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Students argue that their desires were ignored when the board moved the upcoming Laguna Beach High graduation ceremony back to the smaller Irvine Bowl after several years of being held in the campus stadium.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The repricing reflects a structural vulnerability that can no longer be ignored.—
Tenzin Seldon,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Pok squinted against his bedroom's harsh, swinging light.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Dressed in periwinkle, Annie took off her shoes in front of the sunflowers, sat down, squinted into the sunlight and smiled.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Overlooked at Toledo, Alexander flashed during the Senior Bowl practice, where he was named the National Team’s top defensive lineman.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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According to Variety, the film's original script included one scene in which Jackson stared at himself in the mirror, capturing his gaze as police car lights flashed behind him, in 1993, just after the singer was accused of child molestation.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Beaded coats glinted with star-chart embroidery.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Mar. 2026
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In 2023, astronomers reported that some of these satellites were already photobombing images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, as sunlight glinted off their surfaces leaving bright trails that erase, obscure or mimic genuine cosmic signals.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Uneasy laughter flickered about the ballroom.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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The lights flickered on screen, and then my room went dark.—
Sheena Vasani,
The Verge,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winked. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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