TWINKLE Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

twinkle 1 of 2

noun

Definition of twinkle

as in minute

a very small space of time in just a twinkle, the shooting star was gone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

twinkle

2 of 2

verb

ˈtwiŋ-kəl

as in to flash

to shine with light at regular intervals holiday decorations twinkled in the shop windows

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to gleam

to shoot forth bursts of light stars twinkling on a crisp September night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 twinkle

Noun

In the evening, the entire space is crisscrossed with twinkle lights. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 June 2026 Perhaps there was not quite the same twinkle in their eyes or pep in their step. — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 10 June 2026

Verb

As the firework began to wane after well over a minute, zigzagging streaks of light spread into a canopy of twinkling flashes that resembled stars. — Sacbee.com, 28 June 2026 The collection features shades of purple and lavender, symbolizing the signature twilight sky after the sun sets on those long summer days at the park and the fireworks begin, twinkling like pixie dust above the castle. — Tiffany Chang, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for twinkle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for twinkle

Noun

Bake in preheated oven, rotating pans from top to bottom halfway through, until danishes are puffed and deep golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

— Torie Cox, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026
Jaylyn Sherrod also provided a spark off the bench with seven points in nine minutes.

— Christopher Harris, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of minute

Verb

Blue morphos flashed their bright wings before disappearing among the plants, while guests gathered around the emergence chamber to look for new butterflies and moths drying their wings.

— Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Wall Street prized Park Avenue co-ops, then the first wave of Silicon Valley fortunes flashed in glass boxes behind the hedges of Atherton and Los Altos Hills.

— Natalie Hoberman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of flash

Verb

Virginia Bender The areas where the Old West doesn’t get so wild are the big functional kitchen with its gleaming stainless steel range, and the bathrooms, modern and sleek with marble to match the best hotel suites.

— Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
In Atlanta, Mayra Martinez and I walked the Beltline — the gleaming greenway everyone points to as proof of an economic boom.

— Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Definition of gleam

Noun

The latter is located in the center of the ship and truly serves as the heartbeat of Beyond.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
Lawmakers and local leaders must stand up for these values and invest in the public schools that are the heartbeat of our communities.

— Stephanie Vanos, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2026

Definition of heartbeat

Verb

Their disparate sonic elements form a dissonant but cohesive whole, wisps of trumpet and electronic woodwinds flashing by as quickly as flickering subway car lights.

— Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
Approximately the size of a dining-room table, the canvas has fifteen people distributed along a set of stairs in front of a mosque, all of them flickering with very different kinds of life.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 13 July 2026

Definition of flicker

Verb

The voluminous ivory ball gown featured a ruffled neckline and puffed sleeves, with a sparkling veil and a record-breaking 25-foot train.

— Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
A day later in Rome, Zendaya sparkled in a Versace red-and-blue, color-block chainmail top and skirt set from the brand's fall/winter 1997 collection.

— Morgan Evans, USA Today, 28 July 2026

Definition of sparkle

Noun

Now, each artist has to read a prompt, sketch it, and surrender the sketch to Kaylin, who has 10 seconds to describe it to the performer, via what seems like a terrible, hard-to-hear phone connection.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 28 July 2026
Doing any of those things in 15 seconds where classical computing takes an hour is huge, mostly because many of these optimization problems are constantly changing minute by minute.

— John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of second

Verb

The air is perfectly warm, the sunshine glints on the water, happy people pass by and wave.

— Kristy Woodson Harvey, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
After spending some time by the pool, a semi-Olympic lined with emerald and malachite mosaics that glinted in the soft, ambient light, followed by a quick trip to the sauna, I was escorted to my treatment room, about a half-flight of stairs up, where I was met by Marcia, my therapist.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026

Definition of glint

Browse Nearby Words

twining

twinkle

twinkled

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Twinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twinkle. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of twinkle

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on twinkle

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

mitigate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes