as in glancing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 winking
Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Dec. 2024
Another technique is using Hall’s narration for all the little internal monologue bits, the little winking one-liners that Dexter never says out loud.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
That extends beyond winking recommendations, down to nuts-and-bolts prep and bringing his full self to each and every day.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Dec. 2024
No one is winking or making fun, despite the fact that this father and son are extolling the beauty of the morning while inside a sunless bunker six miles underground.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Whatever the noble title, Cronenberg wore the moniker with the same winking irony that suffuses so much of his work – using genre as a kind of Trojan horse to get his unique vision to travel.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 1 Dec. 2024
The pair stood close together as Swift smiled before winking and sticking her tongue out at the camera.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Directed by Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon), the Netflix feature boasts a strong voice cast as well as a narrative that successfully finds the middle ground between winking self-awareness and the suspension of disbelief that propels all Yuletide tales.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Oct. 2024
Some signed off with smiling or winking face emojis.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024
Verb
Beneath us is a shimmering expanse of untouched snow like powdered sugar, winking in the spring sun; the odd shadow; the frozen Fedaia Lake far below.
—Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Dec. 2024
Another technique is using Hall’s narration for all the little internal monologue bits, the little winking one-liners that Dexter never says out loud.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
That extends beyond winking recommendations, down to nuts-and-bolts prep and bringing his full self to each and every day.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Dec. 2024
No one is winking or making fun, despite the fact that this father and son are extolling the beauty of the morning while inside a sunless bunker six miles underground.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Whatever the noble title, Cronenberg wore the moniker with the same winking irony that suffuses so much of his work – using genre as a kind of Trojan horse to get his unique vision to travel.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 1 Dec. 2024
The pair stood close together as Swift smiled before winking and sticking her tongue out at the camera.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Directed by Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon), the Netflix feature boasts a strong voice cast as well as a narrative that successfully finds the middle ground between winking self-awareness and the suspension of disbelief that propels all Yuletide tales.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Oct. 2024
Some signed off with smiling or winking face emojis.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024
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
-
FedEx — The stock gained more than 1% after Jefferies upgraded FedEx to buy from hold, saying investors are ignoring the cost-cutting efforts at the packing and shipping company that will continue to drive earnings growth regardless of the macroeconomic challenges.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Yet there’s no ignoring the fact that the Rockies would’ve loved to have Brito penciled in as their second baseman this year.—
Daniel R. Epstein,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This user experience gap is a glaring oversight that leaves many customers frustrated, confused and wondering if the futuristic fintech promises were just clever marketing.—
Sal Rehmetullah,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
-
Brunson’s game-winning, ice-cold three only numbed the pain the Knicks endured — pain a better opponent will continue to impose on a team that has shown more glaring holes than bright spots.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2025
Adjective
-
Still, some options will also include a red light setting, which produces less of a blinding effect for others, and strobe effects for emergency signaling.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
1 May 2025
-
The spherical object reportedly then burst into a blinding bright light.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Outside of the emotional rollercoaster of Keisha and Justin’s romance, the series offers generous and glittering depictions of family, friendship and young adulthood.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
8 May 2025
-
Leave it to Cartier to make the night’s most glittering party feel like an intimate encore.—
Ian Malone,
Vogue,
6 May 2025
Adjective
-
This year there have been multiple flaring incidents, including planned flaring that occurred during maintenance work in February and several weeks in April and May.—
Bay City News Service,
The Mercury News,
22 Sep. 2024
-
Oil refining giant Valero must pay a $1.2 million penalty for major flaring incidents at its Benicia facility that spewed dark plumes of pollutants into neighborhoods, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday.—
Julie Johnson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
5 Apr. 2023
Adjective
-
Against elites, his Dangerous Fenwick is just over 50 percent, but his goal share (11-1) is a scintillating 91 percent.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
-
The attention required to keep up isn’t always rewarded by the most scintillating developments in a plot that tends more often to simmer on a medium flame than come to a boil.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Winking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winking. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share