wink 1 of 2

wink

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to blink
to rapidly open and close one's eyes she winked several times to get the dust and grit out of her eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in to twinkle
to shine with light at regular intervals a lighthouse was winking in the distance

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
as in to ignore
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 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 wink
Noun
There are a lot of subtle winks like that in the series, including someone other than Kyle MacLachlan playing a character named Agent Cooper, and even a reference to Hawke’s hilarious, thunderously great performance as John Brown in The Good Lord Bird. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025 Carpenter is plainly a student of Parton’s, evoking her pinup styling (voluminous hair, big red lips), her persona (sharp with a knowing wink), and her voice, which is rich and husky and accompanied by a country lilt. Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
But when the lights go off and consciousness winks out, another, deeper process goes to work. Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 8 Aug. 2025 Both a send-up of, and winking tribute to, the splendor and ridiculousness of industry awards shows, Yang and Rogers started the Culture Awards in 2022, spinning off the bit from their hit podcast, Las Culturistas. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wink
Noun
  • Everything seems to be going Laura’s way until one afternoon, after Daniel has been put down for his nap — that’s how the dialogue sounds — things get steamy with Howard.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
  • No amount of naps, no amount of sleep could refresh me.
    Wendy Grossman Kantor, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Mitchell had left her daughter in Thomas' care for 45 minutes, according to a criminal complaint cited by The Times and PIX11.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The only exception was the 2019 AFCON quarter-final, when Troost-Ekong struck an 89th-minute winner for the Super Eagles.
    Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In addition to a healthy contingent of federal firefighters, federal workers from the departments of agriculture, the interior, and others have a strong presence in the town, which has a lone blinking stop-and-go traffic light and no parking meters.
    David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • By harnessing virtual particles that constantly blink in and out of existence, a new type of sensor can detect infinitesimal vibrations to identify molecules.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The white beard, the twinkling eyes behind round spectacles, the mustache curled with wax at its ends are all real, all his.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Lighting up bits of the water, with the city twinkling behind her like millions of eyes, the statue was breathtaking.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Marble floors gleamed beneath towering columns, and the chandeliers cast a warm, golden light.
    Maggie Downs, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Megan Moroney, Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow brought the shine to their section in their gleaming ensembles.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That many in the media have ignored the unit’s rise is an indictment.
    Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Amid all its glorious and aesthetic architecture lies the massive environmental impact that cannot be ignored.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The latter expects this new AirPod line to feature a new chip for better sound quality, noise cancellation and heartbeat monitoring.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
  • His soulful vocals and unmistakable touch on the Wurlitzer became the heartbeat of the bands' sound.
    Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The first photo in the carousel showed Brooks posing with her arms wrapped around her husband-to-be, flashing her ring as the couple posed for the camera in the black-and-white shot.
    Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wink. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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