1
2
as in minutes
a very small space of time
I turned to look away, and in a wink he was gone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
3
as in gleams
to shoot forth bursts of light
fireflies winking in the darkness beyond our campfire
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in ignores
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of winks
Meg Walters, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
As for the music, it’s aptly encoded with cosmic winks and shrugs — layers of paradoxical noises that feel messy and mannered, casual and serious, loose and tight, hungry and wise.
—Chris Richards, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2026
References, winks, and even fan-pleasing cameos abound, but unlike in many big-budget IP adaptations, all of them make sense for the story being told and don't take attention away from the main players.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 16 Dec. 2025
On a poster, the brand’s mascot, Snow King, holds a milk tea and winks.
—Theodora Yu, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2025
In its effort to stoke the geopolitical flames with winks and tongue-in-cheek reference, this new book flattens the story to surface level commentary.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Nov. 2025
Hank certainly seems to be getting more than his 40 winks of sleep at night, if the care and intelligence demonstrated in this brief clip is anything to go by.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Though the movie is accessible to new fans, there are plenty of winks and nods for diehards who can understand what might seem, to the uninitiated, like cheesy moments—a cringeworthy English rap verse, a scene parodying the product placement in K-dramas—as self-aware jokes.
—Yvonne Kim, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
Olivier Rousteing, creative director, Balmain Creative director of Balmain since 2011, Rousteing has revitalized the house with his bold, opulent designs, blending modern glamour with winks to the legacy of founder Pierre Balmain.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2026
The hotel itself is a rhapsody in clean, modern design that subtly winks to the legion efforts behind it.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Jan. 2026
But when the lights go off and consciousness winks out, another, deeper process goes to work.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
The table serving as a centerpiece winks to a fashion runway.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
The actress stars as Cathy in Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Emily Brontë's novel—and so far, the press tour has been filled with knowing winks and nods to the source material.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
As for the music, it’s aptly encoded with cosmic winks and shrugs — layers of paradoxical noises that feel messy and mannered, casual and serious, loose and tight, hungry and wise.
—Chris Richards, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2026
References, winks, and even fan-pleasing cameos abound, but unlike in many big-budget IP adaptations, all of them make sense for the story being told and don't take attention away from the main players.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 16 Dec. 2025
On a poster, the brand’s mascot, Snow King, holds a milk tea and winks.
—Theodora Yu, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2025
In its effort to stoke the geopolitical flames with winks and tongue-in-cheek reference, this new book flattens the story to surface level commentary.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Nov. 2025
Hank certainly seems to be getting more than his 40 winks of sleep at night, if the care and intelligence demonstrated in this brief clip is anything to go by.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Though the movie is accessible to new fans, there are plenty of winks and nods for diehards who can understand what might seem, to the uninitiated, like cheesy moments—a cringeworthy English rap verse, a scene parodying the product placement in K-dramas—as self-aware jokes.
—Yvonne Kim, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
Olivier Rousteing, creative director, Balmain Creative director of Balmain since 2011, Rousteing has revitalized the house with his bold, opulent designs, blending modern glamour with winks to the legacy of founder Pierre Balmain.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Badlands might be a simple movie on the surface, but it's filled with little details, bits of lore, and cheeky winks many moviegoers appreciated.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2026
The hotel itself is a rhapsody in clean, modern design that subtly winks to the legion efforts behind it.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Jan. 2026
But when the lights go off and consciousness winks out, another, deeper process goes to work.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
The table serving as a centerpiece winks to a fashion runway.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winks
Noun
-
The property’s design leans heavily on indoor-outdoor principles, including al fresco showers and plenty of breezy spaces for afternoon naps and aperitifs.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Jammies optional, naps discouraged.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi Even if not a huge art buff, take the five minutes to wander to the Contarelli chapel inside this small catholic church which is just a short stroll from the Pantheon.—
CNT Editors,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
About 2 minutes and 40 seconds into the fight, Grasso drilled Barber in the head with a left hook, knocking her out.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Just a microphone that never blinks, never takes a break and never misses a shift.—
Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
But spotting when a star blinks for a fraction of a second as an asteroid passes in front of it from our perspective on Earth is incredibly challenging.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Like Beckham’s dress, the 100-percent silk dress softly gleams in the light.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Despite a couple of funky skips, the album is fueled by the hunger of an artist who really wants the pop life again, perking up electro-scuzz and arena rock with new wave that gleams like glitter.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But that argument ignores the structure of the program.—
Demetrius Atsalis,
Boston Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
All pitchers agree that the guy holding the bat generates crucial data that a pitcher ignores at his peril.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Extremely high doses can lead to irregular heartbeats or even cause the heart to stop altogether, according to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.—
Theara Coleman,
TheWeek,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Find your pulse and count 20 heartbeats.—
Vicki Glembocki,
Parents,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Charles squints at the phone.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Wiesmair squints at his smartphone, which is logged on to a database of European moth species.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
An hour goes by, and then, through a slit in the curtains, Miley Cyrus flashes a smile and tips her oversize black sunglasses.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
-
After following the characters from high school to college, the series flashes forward five years for the finale with one final gut-punch.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winks. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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