winked

past tense of wink
1
as in blinked
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

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2
3
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

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 winked Mesh styles made a return in pointy-toe kitten-heel pumps in neutral colors while the Babouche design was reinterpreted in a python print or black satin that winked also to comfy red carpet moments. Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 8 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winked
Verb
  • On the mountains, the unattended sheep raised their faces to the sky and blinked.
    Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Disney blinked once and could just as easily blink again.
    Lizz Winstead, Time, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • My astrologer’s eyes twinkled with infuriating delight.
    Jessie Rosen, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Finn’s eyes, wide and wonderful, twinkled under the Mile High moonlight as the young girl took the stage for the first time.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • An abundance of kitschy wall decorations (fuzzy dice, fake flowers, party streamers) gleamed under flashing lights, casting the room in lurid shades of pink and green.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Using Essie’s Good as Gold layered with Lights Lacquer glitter, the team achieved nails that gleamed like jewelry.
    Essence, Essence, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The mass firings come just two months after the CDC experienced a mass exodus of top officials from the agency, who said they were prompted to resign in August after Kennedy sidelined officials and ignored scientific research and protocols since he was assigned to his role to lead the department.
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Yet when spring training rolls back around next year, the Yankees’ promise to fans will begin anew and recent shortcomings will be ignored.
    Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On back-to-back shifts early in that eventual disaster of a second period, Maccelli flashed some of his playmaking skills to find both Knies and Matthews, the latter for a juicy look right in front of Cam Talbot.
    Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • As the signature yellow-and-white audio waveform flashed across ABC screens, the first high-stakes emergency sent crews rushing to a Kane Brown concert at Ascend Amphitheater.
    Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Chalk dust glinted like pollen or asbestos in the sunshine coming through the window.
    Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Pans, scoured, hung from hooks; knives glinted in ascending size.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • This summer, Kwame Nkrumah’s transatlantic legacy flickered back into view when Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary in the New York City mayoral race.
    Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Every time one of us said the girl’s name, the lights flickered.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Fforme’s liquid silk dresses shimmered with ease, and Ulla Johnson’s abstract painterly prints struck a vibrant chord.
    Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The gold and cream jacquard shimmered with each movement, the intricate pattern gave the suit a rich, almost tapestry-like dimension.
    Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 15 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Winked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winked. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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