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
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
Verb
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
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 mother-son duo posed for photos, with Valentino adorably squinting from the bright lights of the cameras.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
When the result was announced, boos echoed through the venue, and Aspinall, still squinting and visibly frustrated, made his feelings clear during his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
So many things, dropped and lost and mislaid, twinkling all over the place like a museum/ junkyard.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
These festive services offer travelers a chance to experience Europe's holiday traditions while evoking the romance of classic rail travel, complete with twinkling decorations, seasonal menus, and the kind of slow-travel nostalgia that everyone's seeking at the moment.—
Jenn Rice,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Our limo arrived at the hotel in a gleaming streak of silver gorgeousness.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Besides the gleaming blue hull, the 60-footer has an open layout that encourages sociability while promoting privacy in areas like the sunbed at the stern or foredeck lounge.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Wrapped in a blanked on the sofa, binging reruns of The Oprah Show on YouTube and gleefully ignoring emails all morning is my idea of heaven.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
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On July 4, after Zane confessed to feeling guilty about ignoring more texts from his family members, the chatbot offered to help Zane craft a terse message to them.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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
-
The trend, Morales said, should come as a giant, blinking warning sign for Republicans, who ran in 2024 on promises to decrease inflation and improve the cost of living for everyday Americans.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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The costume was designed by veteran costume and puppet designer Tahra Zafar and, of course, includes Paddington’s trademark blue duffel coat and red hat, as well as mechanics that enable facial expressions like blinking.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Behind it, festive props and flickering lights add to the chaos.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The moment unofficially sealed the Commanders’ 38-14 defeat and appears to be the dagger in a disappointing season that already had flickering hopes entering this game.—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winking. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
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