HINKY Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

hinky

adjective

ˈhiŋ-kē

Definition of hinky

slang

as in unsure

not feeling sure about the truth, wisdom, or trustworthiness of someone or something the cop was feeling hinky about the whole situation and was starting to think that it was a setup

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in worried

feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty after noticing that the driver seemed hinky, the border guard demanded that he submit to an inspection of his vehicle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 hinky Wisconsin is similarly a hinky place that can be hard to poll, but the most recent ones show Democrats have a shot at holding the Governor’s gig. — Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 The rule of law may be battered and bruised, and even at times a bit hinky. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Even with such an expansion afoot, odd missteps, hinky plotholes, and confounding questions still abound. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024 These sorts of trust schemes have been around a long time and are known by a variety of hinky names such as the constitutional equity pure trust or a pure trust organization. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 Lumber prices have shot up again in a rise reminiscent of a year ago, when high-climbing wood prices warned of the hinky supply lines and broad inflation to come. — Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2021 Some of these outcasts — like the would-be killer of Ronald Reagan, John Hinckley (a hinky looking Adam Chanler-Berat) — are all too familiar. — Marilyn Stasio, Variety, 14 Nov. 2021 The scene at the small, Northeast Hancock Street house was hinky. — oregonlive, 3 May 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hinky

Adjective

The Salt Lake County clerk requests assistance to secure the polls, but the sheriff, unsure about jurisdiction, declines.

— Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
The equipment truck had left spring training in Tempe, Arizona, and was in Salt Lake City, unsure where to go, when Selig called traveling secretary Tommy Ferguson, who had held the same job with the Braves.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of unsure

Adjective

Observers say the Student List party's policies remain vague, which has some worried about Serbia's future.

— Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Gas prices were safely below $3 a gallon, and, if anything, the energy market was worried about a supply glut that could keep fuel prices low.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

The authentication process combines human expertise and AI integration to flag any suspicious activity and ensure that listings follow commercial industry standards.

— Sophie Lou Wilson, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
What readers are saying The comments discuss a case involving a person who sent letters containing a suspicious substance, with many commenters criticizing the individual's intelligence for including his return address.

— Violet Jira, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of suspicious

Adjective

That sounds appealing, especially to investors nervous about market declines.

— Daniel Kern, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Shopkeepers boarded up windows while others opened temporarily and endured a nervous Saturday afternoon, after around 3,000 shops were damaged or looted last weekend.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of nervous

Adjective

Progressives like Melat Kiros have signaled their votes for Jeffries might be up for grabs unless their leadership embraces more left-leaning policies, but most Democrats are skeptical about major defections.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Gabriel, however, is more skeptical, arguing that infrastructure carries the incentives of the model that built it, making a brand with less influence likely to struggle to resist a parent company oriented around speed, efficiency, and growth.

— Jessica Binns, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of skeptical

Adjective

Those assumptions can be quite uncertain when designing an entirely new study.

— Mark Louie F. Ramos, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026
Specialists recommend seeking a second opinion from a neurologist who specializes in MS when a diagnosis is uncertain, particularly before starting medications that affect the immune system.

— Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncertain

Adjective

The director general was attempting to lift the gloom after being beset with questions from anxious employees about job losses, service reductions, and general retrenchment.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2026
An anxious child Apart from her scribbled notes, scant details are available about Runa’s experience in detention, according to her lawyer Yoshihiro Mukai.

— Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of anxious

Browse Nearby Words

hinging

hinky

hinnies

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Style

“Hinky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hinky. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hinky

adjective

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