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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winkle
Verb
-
There was, of course, one gleaming exception to the cultural stranglehold that Sinners versus One Battle After Another held last winter.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026 -
Fresh off his first-ever water fast, the whites of his eyes gleam like pearls.—
Jen Murphy,
Robb Report,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The one that keeps flashing in my mind in the current call to ratchet down the incendiary rhetoric was Don Jr’s reaction to the near-fatal 2022 home invasion attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
-
To the left, drivers pay no mind to a flashing beacon announcing the school zone, said Gerardo Sandoval, a parent of a student at the south Charlotte magnet school.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The third inspection got China Star twinkling again.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The bounty of wide, unrestrained, eyes-twinkling smiles genuinely brought me joy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That doesn’t mean Mars is hiding sparkling jewel deposits beneath its dusty surface.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
-
That doesn’t mean Mars is hiding sparkling jewel deposits just beneath the surface.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This leadership follows a congressional report showing foreign adversaries are actively influencing American academia — shining a spotlight on Indiana and Purdue University, in particular, as both a model for reform and a case study in risk.—
Joe Gebbia Sr,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
People throw rocks at things that shine, and life makes love look hard.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Belvedere’s reputation—old money, low-key wealth, a yacht harbor shimmering below—was baked in more than a century ago.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The perfectly symmetrical volcano is best viewed from Lake Kawaguchiko, where its reflection shimmers across the water.—
Lauren Schuster,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But this Roundabout production at Studio 54 — the site of glittering debauchery of another era — just isn’t all that much fun, being mostly effortful, maddening and finally exhausting.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In a bravura performance, Llúcia Garcia stars as 18-year-old Marina, who travels to the glittering seaside town of Vigo determined to uncover information on her father.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the gutter, the usual New Orleans blend of litter and live-oak leaves was topped by a shimmering layer of pink fish scales glinting in the sun.—
Daniel Brook,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The path down is picturesque, but peppered with black snakes glinting in the sun.—
Kristina Kasparian,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Winkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winkle. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
