as in stares
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squints
Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
Wiesmair squints at his smartphone, which is logged on to a database of European moth species.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
And in a third, the gaunt 30-year-old killer flexes, purses his lips and squints.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, Charles squints at the phone.
—Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
Wiesmair squints at his smartphone, which is logged on to a database of European moth species.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squints
Noun
-
The state and national pageants showcase the talents, brains and looks of the woman synonymous with American beauty.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Chesterfield Some sofa styles, like Chesterfield, lose the favor of designers due to their size and feel rather than their looks.—
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As Ji Seon stares in shock, her friends cheer in the background, chanting at her to say yes, ha.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Providing some respite from the violent mayhem are scenes in which Manafort stares intently at computer screens tracking what’s going on and the new MI6 chief (Ackie) barks orders at her underlings.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Enveloped in all this optical dazzlement, and cutting across the frame with their bold, frontal gazes, the women are the very embodiment of dignity and power, mirrors of the independence roiling at the heart of the nation.—
Zoë Hopkins,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Besides their long, dark hair and smoldering gazes, what do Charli XCX and Salma Hayek have in common?—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The footage ends as the officer glances back toward the bench where the suspect was supposed to be handcuffed, before giving chase, with two other officers quickly darting out from behind the reception desk to join her.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Kent starts to laugh but glances quickly at the cameras.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Since it was released at the end of 2023, the hulking, angular vehicle has been subject to jokes about its appearance and glares from people who disagree with CEO Elon Musk’s politics.—
Andrea Guzmán,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Saab recommends combining overhead lighting with wall sconces and table lamps to lend more flexibility while also avoiding harsh glares.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Maybe somebody blinks and the Rangers get a better result.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Between scenes, for instance, the illuminated proscenium blinks ominously, as if in code.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cathy peers down at them through a hole in the floorboards.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
-
An existentialist peers into the abyss and feels a shiver of possibility, the freedom to be anything.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The hotel lies at the bottom of the Colombier area of the island where the grandest houses have been snapped up by the world’s wealthiest people, trying to get tantalizing peeks of them through the palms is a fun game.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
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Meghan has shared numerous looks at her Montecito home since rejoining Instagram in early 2025, from glimpses of their backyard to peeks inside the kitchen.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squints.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squints. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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