winkle

verb

Definition of winklenext
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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for winkle
  1. gleam
  2. flash
  3. twinkle
  4. sparkle
  5. shine
  6. shimmer
  7. glitter
  8. glint
Verb
  • That's particularly true at steakhouse Intrepid and open-air cantina 16o9—both of which are set above the harbor for incredible sunsets and clear views of the gleaming white super yachts.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • All this may be hard to imagine in the gleaming China of today.
    — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of gleam
Verb
  • The fifth-round pick from Nebraska has flashed as both a runner and pass-catcher behind the Chiefs’ featured back.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
  • As Americans prepared to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday on the morning of July 4, sobering images flashed across their phones and TV screens.
    — James Bisbee, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of flash
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
Definition of twinkle
Verb
  • Even when Monét isn’t being quite as playful as on past releases, her personality sparkles brighter than her esteemed guests.
    — Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In the box office sensation Animal House (1978), directed by John Landis, Weller sparkled as the snooty Mandy, who’s dating the arrogant Omega House chapter president Gregory Marmalard (James Daughton).
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of sparkle
Verb
  • No lights shone from blocks of flats; no sounds of traffic came from any road.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • As for glam, Deutch kept things simple, shining a spotlight on her outfit.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of shine
Verb
  • The spa Done up in shimmering marble mosaics, the hotel’s petite subterranean spa takes its cues from the Turkish baths at London’s Royal Automobile Club and the original YMCA in New York.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The image was captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with stars that shimmer periodically on the search engine's home page.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of shimmer
Verb
  • Szor's camera captures the glittering lights of the city and often peers into apartment windows, showing us Israeli citizens working out, eating meals and watching the news.
    — Justin Chang, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Every December 31, hundreds of thousands of people gather for hours in the cold to stare at One Times Square and wait for a glittering ball to slide down its flagpole.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of glitter
Verb
  • 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
  • The placement feels resonant, since Boorman was always operating between poles of glinting victory and laughable failure.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of glint
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.

Browse Nearby Words

winking (out)
winkle
winkled
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Winkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winkle. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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