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
-
Afternoon naps and caffeine as well as evening light from phones and other electronic devices can make adjusting to an earlier bedtime even harder.—
Lauran Neergaard,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Afternoon naps and caffeine as well as evening light from phones and other electronic devices can make adjusting to an earlier bedtime even harder.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Las Vegas, as one example, overhauled its room by agreeing to major deals with Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker in a matter of mid-afternoon minutes.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
-
There’s also the Downtown Mall, a walkable promenade lined with local boutiques, independent bookstores, and restaurants that encourage long afternoon hangs (the outdoor patio at Tilman’s is a local go-to, as is Smyrna just a few minutes walk away).—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Nobody seems to believe in Detroit in the postseason yet, which is partly a result of the Pistons not having won a playoff series since (checks notes) … (blinks and checks notes a second time) … 2008, and partly a result of legitimate questions about their iffy perimeter shooting.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
3 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
-
Many women face unique financial realities, such as career breaks, caregiving, and longer life expectancy, yet most financial advice ignores these factors, which can affect women in ways that differ from those of men, according to NerdWallet's personal finance expert Kimberly Palmer.—
Janay Reece,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The real ocean, of course, ignores those assumptions entirely.—
Marcos Magaña,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Find your pulse and count 20 heartbeats.—
Vicki Glembocki,
Parents,
1 Mar. 2026
-
That grandiosity simmers down into terrifying chase soundtracks and menacing hunter's heartbeats as the movie continues, but the after-image of those glorious strings lingers through the rest of the franchise.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 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
-
Durbin flashes leather If Thursday was any indication, the Red Sox will be in good hands if Alex Cora decides to roll with Caleb Durbin as the club’s starting second baseman.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Your Roomba emits a chime and flashes its indicator ring or a Wi-Fi symbol.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winks. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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