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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in glancing
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of winking
Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
In doing so, Piccioli subtly weaves in his own creative quirks, while winking (from behind dark glasses) at his predecessor — a way of not entirely unsettling the clientele won over during the previous decade.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Musk ended the post with a winking emoji.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Camera flashes burst against the walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, framing Blade Runner–esque vistas of the flickering skyline, a winking reminder that New York City is always wide awake.
—Alex Catarinella, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Scruffy City is a moniker the place holds with equal parts pride and winking good humor.
—Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2025
And these aren’t just winking cameos meant to elicit knowing nods; Rogen and Goldberg turn many of them into genuinely funny performances.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2025
Ortega's inclusion in the film is itself a piece of meta-winking.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
The opening sequence, where McGuigan shamelessly apes Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, is reasonably entertaining, and McAvoy masticates the scenery with a winking fervor that befits the project, but the whole thing is unforgivably half-baked.
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2021
Adjective
James later shared the ad on social media with winking and tongue-sticking-out emojis; much of his audience, however, was not so amused, and one lifelong fan even sued.
—Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
In doing so, Piccioli subtly weaves in his own creative quirks, while winking (from behind dark glasses) at his predecessor — a way of not entirely unsettling the clientele won over during the previous decade.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Musk ended the post with a winking emoji.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Camera flashes burst against the walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, framing Blade Runner–esque vistas of the flickering skyline, a winking reminder that New York City is always wide awake.
—Alex Catarinella, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Scruffy City is a moniker the place holds with equal parts pride and winking good humor.
—Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2025
And these aren’t just winking cameos meant to elicit knowing nods; Rogen and Goldberg turn many of them into genuinely funny performances.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2025
Ortega's inclusion in the film is itself a piece of meta-winking.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
The opening sequence, where McGuigan shamelessly apes Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, is reasonably entertaining, and McAvoy masticates the scenery with a winking fervor that befits the project, but the whole thing is unforgivably half-baked.
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winking
Verb
-
OmniBook x Flip, a 2-in-1 laptop that can do it all, featuring a spacious 16-inch display with a sharp 2K resolution that will never leave you squinting, pinching to zoom, or switching orientations to better see what’s on your screen.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
17 Oct. 2025
-
That said, blurry vision, squinting, and other factors could indicate a need to update a prescription.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The 200-foot-long immersive light tunnel lost 170 feet of twinkling illumination, also in need of reinstallation.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will feature twinkling lights, magical garlands and cheerful wreaths, plus traditional holiday a cappella performances from The Frog Choir.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Turkish officials recently unveiled a gleaming gold brooch and a rare jade stone in Troy – a remarkable breakthrough that sheds light on the city's pre-Greek past.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Today, the street has been thoroughly modernized, replaced by a gleaming forest of glass towers housing spacious condos with bird’s-eye views and sky-high prices.—
Mark David,
Robb Report,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The next morning, Federline called his lawyer Mark Kaplan to draft a legal letter demanding that Spears stop breastfeeding their children, and Federline left town to promote his record, ignoring her calls and messages.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Signs of sass becoming a problem include growling or snapping, guarding objects, ignoring basic commands persistently, or biting and destroying items.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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
-
There are two blinking lights on the front of its boxy body to approximate wide, moony pupils.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Beyoncé went from disco-diva futurism on Renaissance to cowboy boots on Cowboy Carter without blinking.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Portland, warning indicators are flashing everywhere.—
Keith Wilson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Troopers were investigating a report of a person lying in the right lane of traffic near a service truck parked on the shoulder with its hazard lights flashing, the release says.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Picture yourself in an old observatory on a crisp, starry autumn night—bronze instruments glinting in the dim light, surrounded by aged leather and parchment maps.—
Michael Stefanov,
Robb Report,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Gothic cathedrals, art deco villas, vintage yellow trams, impeccably dressed signore, bright red Negronis glinting in the sun—these are some of the most classic symbols of Milan, but there’s a whole other side to the city, one that’s contemporary, cosmopolitan, and just plain cool.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
AFAR Media,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winking. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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