as in ignores
to dismiss as of little importance
for too long the school just winked at the young athletes' hooliganism, dismissing it as a case of "boys being boys"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winks (at)
Verb
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In episode six, Max and Holly find the memory that Henry has been hiding from, and while Max kind of ignores it, Holly hangs back and watches how Henry is affected by having killed that man.—
Derek Lawrence,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Jan. 2026 -
That demand ignores long-standing practice, misunderstands the Bears’ legal obligations and risks undermining one of Illinois’ most important economic assets.—
Don DeWitte,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sinnott forgives his parents, and parents today who waver on vaccination.—
Arthur Allen,
Miami Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
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Still, Alice meets with him and forgives him.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Moses Storm, one such former follower who is featured in the docuseries, says that media coverage often overlooks a crucial element.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
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The view from behind the wheel is impressive, where the driver sees finger-thin A-pillars at either side of the broad windshield that overlooks two iconic fenders, a comically short dash, five true analog gauges, and little else.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But as Lilly explains to Ronnie, telling the truth now won’t do anything to absolve Hank — everyone already thinks Lilly is crazy.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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At the train station when Kelley is about to depart, Howie explains his backstory to keep Kelley from leaving.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Satisfy gets a lot of flack for its prices, but this running jacket justifies the price tag thanks to its effective modularity and (extremely) lightweight design.—
Will Porter,
Outside,
4 Jan. 2026
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While there are legitimate concerns throughout the Midwest about future reliability due to new data centers and their substantial power consumption, there is no looming emergency that justifies the administration’s action here.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Winks (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winks%20%28at%29. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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