wrinkle 1 of 2

noun

ˈriŋ-kəl How to pronounce wrinkle (audio)
Definition of wrinklenext
1
as in furrow
a small fold in a soft and otherwise smooth surface the old woman's face creased into wrinkles as she smiled the curtains cascaded onto the floor in ripples and wrinkles

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2
as in innovation
something (as a device) created for the first time through the use of the imagination the latest wrinkle in digital photography

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wrinkle

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to furrow
to develop creases or folds if you don't fold clothes promptly after drying, they'll wrinkle

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2
as in to crumple
to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in sitting down on the bedspread wrinkled it

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of wrinkle
Noun
The artificial-intelligence investment boom is adding another wrinkle. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026 Lucky for me, Spanx’s Labor Day weekend sale begins today and has deals on wrinkle-resistant bottoms, elegant jumpsuits, and more for my fall trips. — Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
There’s arguably nothing more annoying than rushing out the door to an event, only to realize your dress is wrinkled and needs to be steamed. — Ali Faccenda, InStyle, 23 July 2026 As gray and wrinkled as the bottom of a mummy’s foot, the Cyclops’ face is wonderfully askew, like he was stepped on by someone even bigger than him. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wrinkle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrinkle
  1. furrow
  2. innovation
  3. crease
  4. crumple
  5. invention
  6. scrunch
  7. product
  8. fold
Noun
  • The underwater drone, tethered to the ship with cables and about the size of a small car, was just above the ocean floor as the researchers and pilots searched for furrows potentially left by whales.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In fossils, tooth marks often look like punctures or furrows.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 July 2026
Definition of furrow
Noun
  • Broadly speaking, many prominent Silicon Valley companies started in a place of technological service and innovation only to have more recently shifted into the dystopia business, and public sentiment has shifted in kind.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Of the industrial innovations underpinning this order, the assembly line and vertical integration were most significant.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of innovation
Verb
  • The formula is designed to deliver up to 16 hours of wear without primer and is resistant to creasing, caking, fading and smudging.
    — Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Samsung has unveiled a new flexible display technology for foldable phones that’s designed to be slimmer, more durable, and less prone to creasing.
    — Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 15 July 2026
Definition of crease
Verb
  • Inflation is part of the show, as across the valley floor, enormous envelopes lie crumpled in fields before fans slowly give them shape—then the burners start, sending pulses of orange through the fabric.
    — Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • According to National Geographic, as the Arabian plate began to move further under the Eurasian plate, the two plates crumpled together, creating the Zagros Mountains — an impressive stretch of peaks that still exist in Iran.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of crumple
Noun
  • After the invention of the internal combustion engine in 1885, the auto industry had comprised skilled laborers producing a few bespoke vehicles—affordable only to an upper stratum of society.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Many still recognize him as the radar tech from Spaceballs (1987); more still have heard his vocal inventions in Gremlins (1984).
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of invention
Verb
  • Next, flip the head forward while scrunching upwards to help enhance curl definition.
    — Elise Tabin, InStyle, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Pick Ups Toe pick-ups involve picking up small items by scrunching your toes around them.
    — Jennifer Klump, Verywell Health, 17 July 2026
Definition of scrunch
Noun
  • An attendee with a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 smartphone at a Samsung Unpacked product launch event in London, UK, on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
  • As the first generation of entrepreneurs adapts to the demands of international business, these companies are moving beyond simply selling products abroad and starting to behave like true multinationals.
    — Danny Vincent, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of product
Verb
  • The museum could clip the tapestry to a rail, then feed it into the paravent inch by inch; when the whole thing was transferred, the huge zigzag could be folded up—with the tapestry secured between layers of padding—then turned on its side.
    — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Bass has never lost an election and won’t easily fold, even as her first term has careened from one crisis to another.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of fold

Browse Nearby Words

wrings (out)
wrinkle
wrinkled
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Cite this Entry

“Wrinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrinkle. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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