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 The Baronessa winked and stated that the princess was an inspiration to others. — Literary Hub, 9 June 2026 Ten hours later, its transponder winked back into life due north of Abu Dhabi, heading for Bahrain. — Priyanjana Bengani, Bloomberg, 7 Mar. 2026 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 The last ember of Rope A winked out. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 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
  • Streetlights blinked yellow Monday as the faithful walked to the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • That changed in 2013, when a small, dark body orbiting between Saturn and Uranus passed in front of a star and blinked twice on either side of the main event, revealing two narrow rings around an object barely 250 kilometers across.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • And for a slight moment, his eyes twinkled underneath the LED lights inside the Kansas City Royals clubhouse.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • In front of the Jabara family, the turquoise waters of Torch Lake gleamed alluringly in the July heat.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Further details can only be gleamed from the photos, but what’s plain to see is that the shoe shares much of the same shape as the LeBron 23.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Bonta had previously ordered Bianco to pause his investigation, and Bianco largely ignored him.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Instead of promoting the new album, George mostly ignored his own catalog, devoting two-thirds of the set to oldies by his heroes, including David Bowie, Chaka Khan, Culture Club, and Elton John.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The janitor squinted into the distance, shielding her eyes from the sun with a hand.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Some took up the pairs of binoculars provided for better viewing, while most simply squinted and pointed into the distance.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Willis has flashed it, at times, too, in practices leading up to the season.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Conwell, 22, flashed that skill set during four summer league appearances with the Heat this offseason.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • After spending some time by the pool, a semi-Olympic lined with emerald and malachite mosaics that glinted in the soft, ambient light, followed by a quick trip to the sauna, I was escorted to my treatment room, about a half-flight of stairs up, where I was met by Marcia, my therapist.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026
  • The silver Chrysler Sebring glinted when the sun kissed the parking lot in Temple, Texas, sitting by its lonesome.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • The stadium lights flickered off, and both teams stood awkwardly as officials huddled at the 20-yard line.
    — David Ubben, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Inexplicably, the lights flickered during the groom-mother dance.
    — Anna Raskind, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Winked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winked. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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