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

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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

And Georges delivers—come for the smart, international menu and panoramic views over Paris (especially appealing at night, when the Eiffel Tower twinkles with light). — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026 Kutsuna has an impish twinkle; Yamada mutely swans about in a daze like an opium fiend. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Verb

The scene is a sensory one, with layered cowhide rugs, leather armchairs, a wood-burning fire, and twinkling chandeliers that were original to the Pulitzers’ home. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 But the scenes of Roy using household objects to relay the action of the game (accompanied by twinkling music) push Keeley beyond the limits of eccentricity. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for twinkle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for twinkle

Noun

The full, 45-minute set is available now to UK viewers on BBC iPlayer.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
And the Current put the ball in the net twice in the five minutes before Hopkins’ second, only to be called for offside each time.

— Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of minute

Verb

While parts of the Southwest are rocky with little vegetation and are naturally prone to flash flooding, the recent rains made flooding everywhere more likely.

— MEAD GRUVER, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
To that, Gordon flashed his patented big smile and let out a little chuckle.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of flash

Verb

There’s a gleaming hospital and a string of new downtown spots to supplement The Bar, the beloved dive that was supposedly among the inspirations for the Patch Café in the TV series Landman, which is set here.

— Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
In others, the walls are paneled in a gleaming hardwood, which sets off the furniture, upholstered in black and dark-gray velvets.

— Kim Velsey, Curbed, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of gleam

Noun

Savannah also shares a bracelet that has their three children’s heartbeats on it, along with LeBron’s initials on the clasp.

— Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Mahomes, though, is the heartbeat of a team that just a year ago was left for dead on this very field.

— Sam McDowell October 19, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of heartbeat

Verb

The layout splits between a restaurant and a cocktail bar, with a listening lounge tucked into the back corner, whose walls come alive with flickering anime cartoons.

— Jaclyn DeGiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Or to be up high and see that, down below, a town is just a grid spread out on a map and nothing more, a grid that flickers with lights that spark on as the darkness commences.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of flicker

Noun

Charlotte saw a 23-point deficit with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter disappear midway through the fourth after Miami went on a 27-4 run to even it up at 100 apiece.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
In tests by cybersecurity firm McAfee, a three-second clip was enough to generate a clone with an 85% match to the original speaker.

— Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of second

Verb

Two great blue herons lift off from the water’s edge and coast along a breeze as the sun glints off their wings.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
Animals started tracking across the plain, their eyes glinting in the flashlights Cordova and Heimann swept back and forth.

— Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of glint

Browse Nearby Words

twining

twinkle

twinkled

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Style

“Twinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twinkle. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of twinkle

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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