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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The bottom line There is no federal program that directly forgives or restructures credit card debt, but that doesn't mean borrowers are stuck.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
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Sinnott forgives his parents, and parents today who waver on vaccination.—
Arthur Allen,
Miami Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Each of the 280 swim-up suites overlooks the sea, while special themed suites intersect luxury and whimsy.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
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Afterward, retreat to the nearby Casa Palmero, The Inn at Spanish Bay or The Lodge at Pebble Beach, which overlooks the dramatic 18th green at Pebble Beach Golf Links, arguably golf’s greatest finishing hole.—
Katie Sweeney,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tyler Stimmel, an agent in Music Brand Partnerships, further explains that when mega-events are so close together, brands can own a moment in culture rather than just a single event.—
Charles Taylor,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Lior Torenberg explains what sets the Sad Girl Grifter (SGG) apart from her lying, scheming peers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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 26 Jan. 2026.
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