as in to gleam
to shoot forth bursts of light
under a canopy of winkling stars, the campers bedded down for the night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winkle
Verb
-
The rooms Supremely comfy, with no gimmicky surprises — just proper, old-school amenities, the plumpest beds and (16 types of) pillows, and gleaming bathrooms decked in mottled marble.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026 -
This budget-friendly dish soap will get your dishes gleaming.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When asked about his goalie practicing the art of deception in Wild practices, Hynes flashed a broad smile and snapped into his Team USA headspace quickly.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Minutes after that, a Fort Worth police vehicle driven by Officer Brock Atkins turns right onto Northwest 20th Street with its lights flashing.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Coakley’s eyes twinkled with a sense of pride.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The team Pep Guardiola built in the early 2010s, combining the wonderful passing of Xavi Hernandez and Andrés Iniesta with the twinkling magic of Lionel Messi, will forever be remembered.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
From the bridge of their charter boat High Class Hooker, Susanna Pope and her husband can look out at the sparkling 65-degree saltwater off Key West, Florida, and envision customers fishing for marlin, wahoo and mahi mahi.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The hand in motion, the fluttering scarf, the sparkling outfit.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The stellar remnant will contract to form a white dwarf, and while the planetary nebula will fade after perhaps 20,000 years, the white dwarf will continue to shine for many trillions of years before fading out.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Her makeup was, for the most part, shielded by her sunglasses, leaving only her brown and nude lip to shine.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The mockumentary’s origins go back further than O’Hara’s shimmering collaborations with Guest and his regular stable of skilled actors, including Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, and Jennifer Coolidge.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
-
McAdams continued the shimmering statement of her attire with a bevy of jewels provided by Tiffany & Co.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Making an appearance with Russell at the Palace of Fine Arts on February 5, Ciara turned heads with a black lace peekaboo bustier, which emerged from an asymmetrical silver wraparound skirt that glittered from every angle.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Expect glittering and ultra glamorous gowns via Balmain, Versace, and vintage Galliano for red carpets with husband George, floaty and floral sets for summering in Lake Como, an always impeccable blowout.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Equipped with radar, sensors, flashing lights that glint off the rotating acrylic cubes and real-time artificial intelligence that initiates dialogue with the viewer, the artwork is anything but static.—
Greg Mellen,
Oc Register,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Something always seems to be lurking in the periphery, glinting off the edges of mirrors, flickering across those black wings offstage.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Winkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winkle. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
