as in glancing
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in squinting
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 twinkling
to shine with light at regular intervals
a lighthouse was winking in the distance
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in gleaming
to shoot forth bursts of light
fireflies winking in the darkness beyond our campfire
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in ignoring
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of winking
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
Wilson’s approach to public life clearly has an element of what professional wrestlers call kayfabe—the winking, performative trollishness that now characterizes the online right.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Now media companies are winking more at feet.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 May 2026
Carlock and Means are masters at fourth-wall-breaking structure and winking, metatextual dialogue, and their ability to balance the goofiness of the series’ diversions with its straightforwardly heartwarming main narrative made each episode a breezy watch.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
The same girls who’d posted winking pop-culture-reference couples Halloween costumes a few years ago were now posting their toddlers in their own pop-culture-reference costumes.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
Made in the earnest style of a disease-of-the-week television movie without ever tipping over into winking irony, the film is both funny and tender.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The installation is a winking reference to the Turing test, the 1950 thought experiment about whether a machine can credibly imitate a person.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The Belgian was a throwback in the most charming sense; a grinning, winking, slaloming magician who could earn the undying trust of even the most collectivist coach.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
But the setting isn’t, say, a fairy tale village or a mermaid kingdom under the sea, to point at two Disney classics the film gives winking reference to.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
Wilson’s approach to public life clearly has an element of what professional wrestlers call kayfabe—the winking, performative trollishness that now characterizes the online right.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Now media companies are winking more at feet.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 May 2026
Carlock and Means are masters at fourth-wall-breaking structure and winking, metatextual dialogue, and their ability to balance the goofiness of the series’ diversions with its straightforwardly heartwarming main narrative made each episode a breezy watch.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
The same girls who’d posted winking pop-culture-reference couples Halloween costumes a few years ago were now posting their toddlers in their own pop-culture-reference costumes.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
Made in the earnest style of a disease-of-the-week television movie without ever tipping over into winking irony, the film is both funny and tender.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The installation is a winking reference to the Turing test, the 1950 thought experiment about whether a machine can credibly imitate a person.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The Belgian was a throwback in the most charming sense; a grinning, winking, slaloming magician who could earn the undying trust of even the most collectivist coach.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winking
Adjective
-
Glaser, from a very glancing stylistic consideration, looks like a multicam by comparison.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Aug. 2024
-
Even so, Joonam is too scattershot and distanced from culture and politics to resonate with the news — potentially the film’s greatest draw — in more than a glancing way.—
Caryn James,
The Hollywood Reporter,
22 Jan. 2023
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
The titular town is a serene speck of a place in the west of Japan, near a mountain also called Nagi, a beautiful but raggedy landscape that patchworks swathes of virgin forest, farmed fields and twinkling solar panels.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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In an Instagram post, the actress showed off the park's winter decor — twinkling lights, artificial snow and Christmas trees.—
Mackenzie Schmidt,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The gleaming cube vase holds the light yet intoxicating scent.—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
-
From lush velvet upholstery to intricate marquetry to gleaming brass fixtures, each sleeping carriage—including an exclusive carriage-long L’Observatoire designed by French artist and photographer JR that launched in 2025—is packed with immersive details that send travelers back in time.—
Rebekah Peppler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Even the wokest of the wokes are ignoring poor Megan.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
Our detailed reporting agitated the government, which went from ignoring our existence to breathing down our necks.—
Abraham Jiménez Enoa,
The Dial,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Its primary food source is the winter firefly (Diaphanes lampyroides), which attracts mates with a continuous, non-flashing light.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Lightning flickering near Wichita, Kansas, lit up the night sky on May 5, 2026, in a display powerful enough to be seen from low Earth orbit.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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Guests first move through a dim corridor lined with towering stacks of CRT televisions flickering with grainy studio footage, ambient static and fragmented vocals.—
Jonathan Cohen,
SPIN,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winking. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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