as in ignored
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winked (at)
Verb
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But documents released by the government in March, after being forced to by Parliament, showed Starmer ignored red flags raised by his staff about the appointment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026 -
America’s $39 trillion national debt has become a familiar political football—batted around in budget negotiations, invoked at congressional hearings, and largely ignored between elections.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What tends to be overlooked, in the aesthetic shock, is Proust’s elaborate hymn to its moral and spiritual implications.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Latinos are a fundamental part of American history and culture, and one of the largest communities in the United States, yet their presence in Hollywood has long been limited, stereotyped, or overlooked.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As co-founder of Jason Hyde Jewelry, Deborah Singer explained, people are often surprised to learn that each piece begins as plastic pulled from the ocean, transformed through upcycling.—
Najahe Sherman,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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The client, Mukherjee explained, was in the midst of a life-threatening medical crisis.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Senior Iranian leaders have repeatedly denied Israel’s legitimacy, predicted its destruction and framed that outcome as inevitable and justified.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Customs and Border Protection rules say that pepper balls and other projectiles should not be aimed at vulnerable areas such as the head or spine unless deadly force is justified.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His father pardoned him on all charges after the 2024 election.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
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Hungary’s president at the time, Katalin Novák, had pardoned a former official convicted of helping cover up the abuse of underaged boys at a children’s home.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Winked (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winked%20%28at%29. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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