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
Relevance
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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of winking
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
Both a send-up of, and winking tribute to, the splendor and ridiculousness of industry awards shows, Yang and Rogers started the Culture Awards in 2022, spinning off the bit from their hit podcast, Las Culturistas.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
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
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
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
Both a send-up of, and winking tribute to, the splendor and ridiculousness of industry awards shows, Yang and Rogers started the Culture Awards in 2022, spinning off the bit from their hit podcast, Las Culturistas.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
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
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
-
To see improvement requires at least some squinting.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
-
DiCaprio makes a great, vital has-been, squinting at the horrors around him in disbelief, but mostly, driven by the need to protect his child.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The pianist, unable to resist, snuck in a few twinkling flourishes.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
-
While some may cringe at the idea of carving pumpkins and hanging twinkling lights on the same day, starting your shopping early could be the secret to enjoying the holiday season more this year.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
From a distance, Biosphere 2 emerges from the cacti and creosote of the Sonoran desert like a gleaming oasis, a colony of glass and bright white structures.—
Chris Impey,
The Conversation,
23 Sep. 2025
-
The next revolution in electrification may not arrive as a gleaming battery or a vast mine.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Since then, Moscow has expanded its drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, while seemingly ignoring his overtures for further dialogue to end the conflict.—
Matthew Bodner,
NBC news,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Meanwhile, films with casts between 41-50 percent people of color grossed far more than the least diverse casts, a commercial reality Hollywood keeps ignoring.—
Rochée Jeffrey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 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
-
Bohumila stepped into the pub, blinking into the dark and smoke.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
-
By springtime, the lingering sight of the giant artificial tree — still decked out in blinking lights and a red bow — was drawing attention on social media and causing concern for the mall's future.—
JC Reindl,
Freep.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
An abundance of kitschy wall decorations (fuzzy dice, fake flowers, party streamers) gleamed under flashing lights, casting the room in lurid shades of pink and green.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The film’s most infamous scene, which might be considered of the original cinematic memes, features Tramell flashing her genitals to officers (and the audience) during an interrogation.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
However, the area, with its rugged coastline, azure sea glinting in the sunlight, and charming villages built right into the cliffs, has lured elite travelers to its picturesque shores since antiquity.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Sep. 2025
-
His hair—blond and swept up like Bowie’s—caught the sun, his gold incisor glinting behind his grin (the upshot of a dental emergency along the Hippie Trail in Goa).—
T. Coraghessan Boyle,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winking. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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