WINKING Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

winking 1 of 2

adjective

as in glancing

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Dissimilar Words

winking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wink

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

as in twinkling

to shine with light at regular intervals a lighthouse was winking in the distance

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in gleaming

to shoot forth bursts of light fireflies winking in the darkness beyond our campfire

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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

Verb

The winking pup had escaped from his new home in San Francisco days after undergoing surgery — being neutered and having his right eye removed — and his adoption from an East Bay organization. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026 Shatner’s Star Trek captain was your slightly drunk uncle, always deciding the rules never applied to him and winking rapaciously at the nearest sexy alien. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026 There’s no such thing as a basic room here; even the smallest ones, at 240 to 260 square feet, look out over the bluffs to whitecaps winking in the sun. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026 Those are emblazoned with signature Burberry knight, while outer boxes are decorated with the house’s tonal check, winking to the Burberry trench. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026 In his short tenure on the show (before decamping along with Lorne Michaels and the rest of the cast after the fifth season), Murray exhibited a knowingness that turned his sketches into winking star vehicles. — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2026 The woman at the center of a viral video who was seen winking and smiling at a camera during the Lindsay Clancy trial this week has been dropped by the magazine she was credentialed to cover the trial for. — Kelsie Cairns , Bryan Llenas, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026 The wry, winking tone still legible in its pages was an early iteration of the urbane magazine voice that powered nineteenth-century publications such as Judge and Puck, as well as later ones like The New Yorker, New York, Spy, and Gawker. — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 The ad ends with Cameli looking into the camera for a few seconds before winking. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for winking

Adjective

Wallace's right shoulder made glancing contact with Brooks' helmet as the wide receiver was hitting the ground, enough for the officials to tack on 15 yards, putting the ball at the 29 with 41 seconds remaining.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
These gentler, more glancing interactions often result in a merger, too.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 22 May 2026

Definition of glancing

Verb

The former Charlotte Observer photographer is walking beneath power lines along North Myers Street, looking up, looking down, looking all around, squinting in the midday August sun.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
Samsung Samsung Galaxy Prime Day Deal The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is built for anyone tired of squinting at tiny screens to get work done.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of squinting

Verb

Traditional string lights typically feature more noticeable bulbs for a classic Christmas display, while fairy lights use tiny LEDs and delicate wires to create a subtle, twinkling effect.

— Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026
Try Jackson’s go-to hue, Aprés Gel Couleur in Dusky Dawn, which is offset by shadowy gray tones, or Sally Hansen Lavender Skies, which features a sheer purple base and twinkling particles of holographic shimmer.

— Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of twinkling

Verb

Spread out across expansive work stations that resemble gleaming kitchen cubicles, chefs spend their days whipping up meals from soup to nuts, a laboratory of sorts to create appetizing and easy dinners to make at home.

— Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Spotting the lights less than a mile from his home, Wittlin turned onto a side street and pulled his gleaming red Pontiac Firebird over.

— Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of gleaming

Verb

From then on, whenever UV light hits the patch, its electrical resistance drops for a moment, and a small onboard chip responds by blinking an LED or flapping the wings.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Nov. 2026
With the wool industry in decline after decades of drought, overgrazing and soaring production costs, some ranchers are betting on a different kind of shed — filled not with fleece but with blinking racks of servers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026