twinkled; twinkling
ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to shine with a flickering or sparkling light : scintillate
2
a
: to appear bright especially with merriment
his eyes twinkled
b
: to flutter the eyelids
3
: to flutter or flit rapidly
1
: to cause to shine with fluctuating light
2
: to flicker or flirt rapidly
twinkled the straight, red-lacquered toes—
Glenway Wescott
Glenway Wescott2
: a rapid flashing motion : flit
3
: a wink of the eyelids
4
: the instant's duration of a wink : twinkling
Examples of twinkle in a Sentence
Verb
The lights of the city twinkled in the distance.
Stars twinkle in the night sky.
Her eyes twinkled with excitement.
Noun
We saw the twinkle of a candle in the window.
in just a twinkle, the shooting star was gone
Recent Examples on the Web
Bailey Richards, People.com, 27 July 2025
But hidden beneath the twinkling lights is a powerhouse of technology that brings Disney Starlight to life.
—Megan Dubois, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
EW.com, 5 July 2025
Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
Could seeing the luminescent twinkle of fireflies on summer evenings soon be a thing of the past?
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for twinkle
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Verb
Others at the ceremony were also dressed appropriately — guests rocked tunics and armor fit for a knight — for the castle nuptials, during which G Flip could be seen reading off of a piece of paper under twinkling lights.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 27 July 2025
But hidden beneath the twinkling lights is a powerhouse of technology that brings Disney Starlight to life.
—Megan Dubois, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Noun
Len, that character of a stern Englishman with a twinkle in his eye, felt like the core of what the show was.
—EW.com, 5 July 2025
Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
Could seeing the luminescent twinkle of fireflies on summer evenings soon be a thing of the past?
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for twinkle
Cite this Entry
“Twinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twinkle. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
twinkle
2 of 2 noun1
: a very short time
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