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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in glancing
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of winking
Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
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
Adjective
Ortega's inclusion in the film is itself a piece of meta-winking.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winking
Verb
-
An overly wide eye may mean that your dog is feeling threatened, while a small or squinting eye may suggest fear or stress.—
Dawn Kovell,
Mercury News,
19 Aug. 2025
-
After noticing her sibling was squinting during a pool party, the actor invited him to pick a pair from his collection to keep.—
Daysia Tolentino,
EW.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The white beard, the twinkling eyes behind round spectacles, the mustache curled with wax at its ends are all real, all his.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Lighting up bits of the water, with the city twinkling behind her like millions of eyes, the statue was breathtaking.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One of the most dazzling superpowers of using toothpaste as a cleaner can be seen in a gleaming shower door.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Think gleaming marble, intricate mosaic, and rich wood.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As the Supreme Court increasingly shows frustration with the overreach of lower court judges, the justices could be motivated to take up cases more quickly on matters where lower courts are ignoring their emergency docket orders, such as with the firing of independent agency heads.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
-
As his profile began to grow on Grand Cayman, Santor became known for securing the best tables at restaurants and riding a scooter through island traffic, blithely ignoring suggestions to put on a helmet.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 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
-
In addition to a healthy contingent of federal firefighters, federal workers from the departments of agriculture, the interior, and others have a strong presence in the town, which has a lone blinking stop-and-go traffic light and no parking meters.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Since then, key changes to the costume have included the introduction of a more rounded, less cartoonish head — one that later evolved to allow for blinking and mouth movement.—
Virginia Chamlee,
People.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As for most of the tournament, Sinner’s first-serve percentage hovered around 50, and Auger-Aliassime took the initiative with flashing forehands and the bravery to go after his shots in baseline rallies.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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Warning signs have been flashing for months that the job market has been losing steam.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This conniving force of darkness is pretty simple at a basic level.—
Vivian Tu,
CNBC,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Feeling profoundly betrayed and abandoned by David, Rebecca’s loyalty lies with the vicious and conniving Juno, the only family she’s known for the last decade.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winking. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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