twinkles 1 of 2

noun

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

twinkles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of twinkle
1
as in flashes
to shine with light at regular intervals holiday decorations twinkled in the shop windows

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2
as in gleams
to shoot forth bursts of light stars twinkling on a crisp September night

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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 twinkles
Noun
The cups on display, with sleek forms and graphic twinkles, immediately felt relatable yet also transcendent, the boundary between life and art blissfully obliterated. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 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 Perch yourself in the Hollywood Hills and watch as the city twinkles below at night. — Kristin Braswell, Architectural Digest, 30 June 2026 But, there will be progress, if not twinkles of excitement. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026 Death twinkles in this landscape like mineral sand. — Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026 Downtown, the Plaza twinkles with thousands of string lights. — Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2025 This Lowcountry gem nestled on Port Royal Island is magical year-round, but at Christmas, Beaufort’s glow twinkles even brighter. — Stephanie Hunt, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for twinkles
  1. minutes
  2. flashes
  3. gleams
  4. heartbeats
  5. flickers
  6. glints
  7. seconds
  8. sparkles
Noun
  • According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, caffeine from the pouches is absorbed into the bloodstream and the effects are felt in minutes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Uncover pot, reduce oven temperature to 375°, and continue to bake bread until crust is deeply browned, 35–40 minutes more.
    — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of minutes
Verb
  • Creative endeavor, in the space of a few hours, flashes its many faces, arduous and sexy, fleeting and fun.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • This option from Vantamo flashes a bright light and emits a 130-decibel sound from dual speakers whenever the top pin is pulled, alerting passersby of the emergency and scaring off potential assailants.
    — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of flashes
Verb
  • Like Beckham’s dress, the 100-percent silk dress softly gleams in the light.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
  • Despite a couple of funky skips, the album is fueled by the hunger of an artist who really wants the pop life again, perking up electro-scuzz and arena rock with new wave that gleams like glitter.
    — Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
Definition of gleams
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
  • Poetic structure, such as cadence, meter and rhyme, invokes rhythms that tie into human heartbeats and breathing.
    — Dana Kelley, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of heartbeats
Verb
  • 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
  • The red neon casting a Hopper-esque glow over the parking lot flickers as a train goes by.
    — Amanda Lee Koe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of flickers
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
  • 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
Definition of glints
Noun
  • Artificial intelligence needs as little as three seconds of you speaking to produce a convincing clone of your voice.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Hischier scored off a rebound on a power play with 41 seconds left in the period.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of seconds
Verb
  • The dress sparkles on stage inspiring audience members to ask whether the gown contains LED lights.
    — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Found about 37 million light-years from Earth, this galaxy sparkles in this side-on view.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of sparkles

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Cite this Entry

“Twinkles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twinkles. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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