as in glancing
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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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of winking
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
Either way, Sally and Craig both seem to confirm it, winking and nodding their way to acknowledging that something went down between them sometime in the recent past.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Mainly hinged on wood and metal elements, the interior concept of the store also features bespoke details subtly nodding to Milan, like the wooden panels marking the undulated ceiling and winking to the Duomo cathedral’s pinnacles.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 26 Nov. 2025
The surreal result is a representation of a chronological inbox that has Quora and Flipboard email blasts interspersed with exchanges with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak and winking emails to Steve Bannon.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Verb
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
Either way, Sally and Craig both seem to confirm it, winking and nodding their way to acknowledging that something went down between them sometime in the recent past.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Mainly hinged on wood and metal elements, the interior concept of the store also features bespoke details subtly nodding to Milan, like the wooden panels marking the undulated ceiling and winking to the Duomo cathedral’s pinnacles.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 26 Nov. 2025
The surreal result is a representation of a chronological inbox that has Quora and Flipboard email blasts interspersed with exchanges with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak and winking emails to Steve Bannon.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
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
-
Stylistically, the album feels of a piece with the work of post-Earl MCs like MIKE or Navy Blue, delivering meditations over electro-funk loops resplendent with squelching synths, twinkling keys, and Jimmy Jam drums.—
Liam Inscoe-Jones,
Pitchfork,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Each year, Music Hall fills with twinkling lights, the sound of nostalgic carols and the joy of thousands of audience members at Holiday Pops.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Likewise, the gleaming curves of the Walt Disney Concert Hall cemented his reputation for turning civic institutions into works of art in their own right.—
David Sokol,
Architectural Digest,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The massive spread includes several formal and informal gathering spaces, with the gleaming chef’s kitchen serving as the heart of the home.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The bar claims the firm refused to remove the attorney’s name from its website for years, ignoring a cease and desist letter from McBratney’s new employer.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Andersen advises ignoring any one particular economic indicator in favor of looking at longer term trends.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
10 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
-
Two tiny humanoid robots that can play soccer stand in a glass case, one blinking and gesturing at visitors and the other partially disassembled to reveal the engineering inside.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Why face the blank page and the blinking cursor?—
Charles Yu,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
But public resistance to the Islamic Republic is still flickering on Iranian college campuses.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winking. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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