winkle

verb

Definition of winklenext
as in to gleam
to shoot forth bursts of light under a canopy of winkling stars, the campers bedded down for the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for winkle
  1. gleam
  2. flash
  3. twinkle
  4. sparkle
  5. shine
  6. shimmer
  7. glitter
  8. glint
Verb
  • Sharing the rooftop with Watr, the pool setting is enchanting, surrounded by gleaming high-rises and overlooking the lake.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Most were gleaming white and conventionally extravagant, with black privacy glass and chrome railings and layers of decks.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of gleam
Verb
  • Creative endeavor, in the space of a few hours, flashes its many faces, arduous and sexy, fleeting and fun.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Despite credit markets flashing warnings, equity holders essentially just stood there.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of flash
Verb
  • The vast auditorium offered a sense of intimacy with floating clouds and twinkling lights like a visitor would still see at the Music Box Theatre in Lakeview today.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Guests then gathered in the gardens for cocktails before moving to an outdoor dinner reception beneath a canopy of twinkling string lights.
    — Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of twinkle
Verb
  • The bathroom was decked out with marble on the floors and walls, and the walk-in shower was spacious and sparkling clean.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Found about 37 million light-years from Earth, this galaxy sparkles in this side-on view.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of sparkle
Verb
  • After Jones shined during his first start, the Gators’ quarterback decision will be scrutinized and dissected, fueling two weeks of endless conjecture leading up to the Georgia game.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The offense continues to shine with the one-two punch of Hawkins and Cook.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of shine
Verb
  • Popular comedian Antonis Kanakis poked fun at the 57-year-old’s flamboyant outfits in a skit posted online, donning a black wig and shimmering silver dress with a pink feather boa.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The shimmering metallic motif of Barbaro’s dress carried through to her shoes, sporting a pair of silver mules courtesy of Paris Texas.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of shimmer
Verb
  • This is a city full of glittering theater marquees and mint midcentury signage, and ringed with rail yards and the scars of an industrial center remade for human scale.
    — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
  • During the talk, Bardem reflected on a glittering career, from his early life growing up in one of Spain’s most prestigious acting families to winning an Oscar and, this year, finally conquering his fear of the stage.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of glitter
Verb
  • Animals started tracking across the plain, their eyes glinting in the flashlights Cordova and Heimann swept back and forth.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The placement feels resonant, since Boorman was always operating between poles of glinting victory and laughable failure.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of glint
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.

Browse Nearby Words

winking (out)
winkle
winkled
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Winkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winkle. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of puissant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All