as in peering
to take a look with the eyes narrowed (as because of difficulty seeing)
He squinted in her direction, but couldn't make her out with the sun behind her.
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Recent Examples of squinting
On a street by the harbor, crowds of people were squinting into the distance, exclaiming every time the whale exhaled.
—
Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026
Whether 2026 is the year, or just the year fans started squinting at the schedule, is the watercooler question worth holding onto until that first Monday in May.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The family smiles while dressed casually and barefoot, squinting from the sun's rays.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Most people have been there, squinting at a chart from their physician's portal with zero context.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Needless to say, there was much squinting at computer screens.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The comic spent some minutes zooming in on and squinting at the photo, putting his hand on his head to ascertain the resemblance.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
And squinting is not necessary to see a vision for him.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
Those last 20 minutes are pretty engaging, even if some of that engagement is squinting to see and interpret what’s going on.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026
Whether 2026 is the year, or just the year fans started squinting at the schedule, is the watercooler question worth holding onto until that first Monday in May.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The family smiles while dressed casually and barefoot, squinting from the sun's rays.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Most people have been there, squinting at a chart from their physician's portal with zero context.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Needless to say, there was much squinting at computer screens.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The comic spent some minutes zooming in on and squinting at the photo, putting his hand on his head to ascertain the resemblance.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
And squinting is not necessary to see a vision for him.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
Those last 20 minutes are pretty engaging, even if some of that engagement is squinting to see and interpret what’s going on.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squinting
Verb
-
As grieving attendees lined up to pay respects to the children, one woman shut her eyes after peering at one of the children, Kayla, who wore a white dress, her fingernails carefully painted pink.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
-
Home-surveillance footage provided to the Miami Herald shows a masked man peering into cars in the area shortly before authorities were called.—
Sofia Saric
May 6,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
His hands were at ten and two, his face fixed, staring straight ahead.—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of seizures can include short-term confusion, staring spells, stiff muscles and jerking movements of the arms and legs.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Illustrations by Thomas Merceron Even glancing contact between a passenger car and a semi truck is often enough to send the smaller vehicle pinwheeling across the highway.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The pup can be seen glancing around his kennel with teary eyes, appearing scared and confused.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Special features All interactive Fingerlings have a core set of responses such as blinking, sleeping and tooting.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
-
Sneezing forcefully expels mucus and airborne debris; reflexive blinking may help shield the eyes from contaminants moving upward across the face.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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An extremely nosy alligator was found sitting on the porch of a coastal North Carolina home, peeping through the glass storm door, photos show.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Apr. 2026
-
During fall leaf-peeping season, traffic on the pass has to be regulated.—
Jonathan Shikes,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Since time immemorial, humans gazing up at the moon have asked grand questions.—
Robin George Andrews,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
-
Other communities, such as Malibu, have developed ordinances to reduce glare and artificial light, as has Joshua Tree National Park, a star-gazing haven that is designated an International Dark Sky Park.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squinting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squinting. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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