as in glancing
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in squinting
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
2
as in twinkling
to shine with light at regular intervals
a lighthouse was winking in the distance
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in gleaming
to shoot forth bursts of light
fireflies winking in the darkness beyond our campfire
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in ignoring
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of winking
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Its only fault, really, is the winking, ironic tone the narration (spoken by Liev Schreiber) sometimes takes, as if the sport isn’t quite worth the trouble the film is going through.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
But these moments are lights winking in a vast and enveloping mist.
—Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
With plenty of palace intrigue and a winking Favourite-esque sense of humor, The Serpent Queen is far from a stuffy costume drama.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Feb. 2026
In the film’s first trailer, its biting energy is on full display, as its winking humor.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
Another two-bedroom co-op, which also happens to be within winking distance of one of the best coffee shops in the neighborhood.
—Katie McDonough, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
But Verbinski juices it up with some cool menace in snake-like cables and a vicious army of robotic toys, which might be the director’s winking homage to Barbarella.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
Maybe there’s some wink-winking, nudge-nudging going on, with one side or the other assuming an unspoken deal has been cut.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
Verb
The Belgian was a throwback in the most charming sense; a grinning, winking, slaloming magician who could earn the undying trust of even the most collectivist coach.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Its only fault, really, is the winking, ironic tone the narration (spoken by Liev Schreiber) sometimes takes, as if the sport isn’t quite worth the trouble the film is going through.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
But these moments are lights winking in a vast and enveloping mist.
—Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
With plenty of palace intrigue and a winking Favourite-esque sense of humor, The Serpent Queen is far from a stuffy costume drama.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Feb. 2026
In the film’s first trailer, its biting energy is on full display, as its winking humor.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
Another two-bedroom co-op, which also happens to be within winking distance of one of the best coffee shops in the neighborhood.
—Katie McDonough, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
But Verbinski juices it up with some cool menace in snake-like cables and a vicious army of robotic toys, which might be the director’s winking homage to Barbarella.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
Maybe there’s some wink-winking, nudge-nudging going on, with one side or the other assuming an unspoken deal has been cut.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winking
Adjective
-
Glaser, from a very glancing stylistic consideration, looks like a multicam by comparison.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Aug. 2024
-
Even so, Joonam is too scattershot and distanced from culture and politics to resonate with the news — potentially the film’s greatest draw — in more than a glancing way.—
Caryn James,
The Hollywood Reporter,
22 Jan. 2023
Verb
-
And squinting is not necessary to see a vision for him.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Those last 20 minutes are pretty engaging, even if some of that engagement is squinting to see and interpret what’s going on.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For a long time, the property gleamed in the daylight with its white, ornate facade against lush green landscaping and often at night, as well, with twinkling holiday lights attached to almost every surface.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Plan Your Shots For the best chance to capture the Milky Way and make the most of those twinkling stars, schedule your photo sessions around the new moon.—
Jay Clue,
Outside,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For many families, the gleaming cruise ships offer an effortless and luxurious option for exploring the ocean.—
Steve Adelstein,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Vietnam is a country with a breathtakingly beautiful coastline, a mouthwatering food scene, and vibrant cities where UNESCO World Heritage Sites huddle in the shadow of gleaming skyscrapers.—
Tamara Hinson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some Democrats argue that the cost of ignoring young male voters is higher than the risk of association with Piker.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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But here’s the thing — ignoring your gutters is one of the fastest ways to turn a free weekend project into a budget-wrecking emergency repair.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Its primary food source is the winter firefly (Diaphanes lampyroides), which attracts mates with a continuous, non-flashing light.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The emitters also demonstrated strong spectral stability, addressing a key limitation in earlier designs where blinking and photobleaching reduced performance.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
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Across Exuvie, Büchi induces a state of temporary autophony, a condition in which internal body sounds like breathing and blinking are amplified to maddening volume.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If the power comes flickering on for a few precious hours in the middle of the night, that’s when Cubans now rise to wearily cook and iron clothes.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Three cars back, Borsutzki tracked the woman’s path, the woman flickering in and out of view between the trunks and branches of the hardwood trees.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winking. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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