WINKING Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

winking 1 of 2

adjective

as in glancing

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Dissimilar Words

winking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wink

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

as in twinkling

to shine with light at regular intervals a lighthouse was winking in the distance

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in gleaming

to shoot forth bursts of light fireflies winking in the darkness beyond our campfire

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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 winking

Verb

Fresh silhouettes in pale pink, sky blue, khaki and white were cut in crisp cotton, winking to the daywear summer occasions of the Sa Su Phi customers who juggle between board meetings, art gallery openings and a garden parties. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 The production’s winking tone blunts some of the original’s tear-jerking climax, yet its intact happy ending offers a surprisingly comforting vision of survival in an age of constant crises. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 The woman at the center of a viral video who was seen winking and smiling at a camera during the Lindsay Clancy trial this week has been dropped by the magazine she was credentialed to cover the trial for. — Kelsie Cairns , Bryan Llenas, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026 The wry, winking tone still legible in its pages was an early iteration of the urbane magazine voice that powered nineteenth-century publications such as Judge and Puck, as well as later ones like The New Yorker, New York, Spy, and Gawker. — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 The ad ends with Cameli looking into the camera for a few seconds before winking. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026 Her lyrics, like those of many of her biggest musical influences, are dense texts, full of winking allusions and subtle references to records, bands, and albums that have shaped her own songwriting. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 The film’s mix of musical swagger, YA melodrama, and winking world-building hit a nerve, turning its core cast into fixtures for a generation that grew up streaming the soundtrack on a loop. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026 For Lin, part of her goal in posting her surveillance selfies was a winking subversion of the all-seeing state. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 18 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for winking

Adjective

Wallace's right shoulder made glancing contact with Brooks' helmet as the wide receiver was hitting the ground, enough for the officials to tack on 15 yards, putting the ball at the 29 with 41 seconds remaining.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
These gentler, more glancing interactions often result in a merger, too.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 22 May 2026

Definition of glancing

Verb

The former Charlotte Observer photographer is walking beneath power lines along North Myers Street, looking up, looking down, looking all around, squinting in the midday August sun.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
Samsung Samsung Galaxy Prime Day Deal The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is built for anyone tired of squinting at tiny screens to get work done.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of squinting

Verb

The vast auditorium offered a sense of intimacy with floating clouds and twinkling lights like a visitor would still see at the Music Box Theatre in Lakeview today.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Guests then gathered in the gardens for cocktails before moving to an outdoor dinner reception beneath a canopy of twinkling string lights.

— Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of twinkling

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 gleaming

Verb

Cameron Berg, who founded the nonprofit Reciprocal Research to study the potential for AI consciousness, argues that ignoring the question could carry its own dangers.

— Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2026
With nearly 70% of listeners now consuming video podcasts, treating an interview as just a microphone chat means ignoring how your audience actually consumes content.

— Victoria Usher, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignoring

Verb

In schoolrooms and offices, there are worksheets and spreadsheets to be done; around the world, there are probably millions of Google Docs open in millions of browsers, cursors blinking.

— Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
One sits on the nose bridge, next to the angular artery, and picks up pulse, blinking, and eyebrow movement.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of blinking

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
The performance will take place in the Ritz-Carlton’s grand ballroom, where hundreds of flickering electric candles will surround the musicians.

— Anna Tingley, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026