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
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Recent Examples of winking
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
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
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
Ortega's inclusion in the film is itself a piece of meta-winking.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
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
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
Ortega's inclusion in the film is itself a piece of meta-winking.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 5 Aug. 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
-
The earlier of Sunday’s two title games, after some squinting, will feature the Denver Broncos hosting the New England Patriots led by quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Drake Maye, respectively.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Latecomers in search of a view had to take their chances from the very top of the stadium, squinting to see the players dancing on the court below.—
Owen Lewis,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The team Pep Guardiola built in the early 2010s, combining the wonderful passing of Xavi Hernandez and Andrés Iniesta with the twinkling magic of Lionel Messi, will forever be remembered.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The stars are twinkling down at them, adding cool light to the 91-degree heat.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The unlikely eponym follows more than 500 years later, gleaming from the shelves of most major supermarkets, gyms, and convenience stores across America today.—
Sophia Herring,
Vanity Fair,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Plus, the gleaming vessel is a gorgeous addition to any vanity.—
Sophie Wirt,
InStyle,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And ignoring that fact is now no longer a laughing matter.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Parents react in different ways, from telling their potty-mouthed offspring to stop, to explaining why this is a bad habit, to ignoring the behavior, or even enforcing consequences as a punishment.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
26 Jan. 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
-
Centennial and Westminster are among the cities in Colorado that don’t allow blinking neon lights outside of businesses, Glen Weseloh said.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Any muscles used for movement — including those involved in speaking, chewing, swallowing, seeing, blinking, breathing and walking — can be affected.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But now, with recent events in Minnesota, that 2020 spirit seems to be tentatively flickering back to life.—
Jemele Hill,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2026
-
What these Studies Mean for Human Intelligence The flickering neurons inside the zebrafish brain give a tiny life form the ability to measure and navigate its world.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winking. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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