crinkle

1 of 2

verb

crin·​kle ˈkriŋ-kəl How to pronounce crinkle (audio)
crinkled; crinkling ˈkriŋ-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce crinkle (audio)
Synonyms of crinklenext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to form many short bends or ripples
b
: wrinkle
2
: to give forth a thin crackling sound : rustle
crinkling silks

transitive verb

: to cause to crinkle : make crinkles in

crinkle

2 of 2

noun

1
: wrinkle, corrugation, pucker
2
: any of several virus diseases of plants marked by crinkling of leaves
crinkly
ˈkriŋ-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce crinkle (audio)
adjective

Synonyms

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of crinkle in a Sentence

Verb The corners of his eyes crinkle when he smiles. a paper seat cover that crinkles with every move Noun little crinkles at the corners of his mouth showed whenever he smiled
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Not just polite smiles, tacit acceptances of paparazzi attention, but broad, knowing smiles, teeth visible, eyes crinkling. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025 Junk journaling videos, featuring the dulcet tones of crinkling paper, are even a form of ASMR content. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 25 Jan. 2025
Noun
The best Christmas cookie tins are filled with colorful sugar cookies, sprinkled gingerbread, linzers, spritzes, shortbread or sables, crinkles or crackles, even wedding cookies or special chocolate chip cookies — because why not? — Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024 Crafted with a blend of three cheeses, the smashed patty is served on a Parker House Bun and topped with two crinkle pickles but no sauce. — Sunny Hubler, Charlotte Observer, 27 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crinkle

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English crynkelen; akin to Old English cringan to yield

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crinkle was in 1596

Rhymes for crinkle

See All Rhymes for crinkle

Browse Nearby Words

crink
crinkle
crinkleawn
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crinkle. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

crinkle

1 of 2 verb
crin·​kle ˈkriŋ-kəl How to pronounce crinkle (audio)
crinkled; crinkling -k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce crinkle (audio)
1
: to form or cause little waves or wrinkles on the surface
2
: rustle entry 1 sense 1

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