crinkle

American  

[kring-kuhl] / ˈkrɪŋ kəl /

verb (used with or without object)

crinkled, crinkling

1. to wrinkle; crimple; ripple.

2. to make slight, sharp sounds; rustle.

3. to turn or wind in many little bends and twists.

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noun

1. a wrinkle or ripple.

2. a crinkling sound.

3. a turn or twist.

crinkle British  

/ ˈkrɪŋkəl /

verb

1. to form or cause to form wrinkles, twists, or folds

2. to make or cause to make a rustling noise

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noun

1. a wrinkle, twist, or fold

2. a rustling noise

Etymology

Origin of crinkle

1350–1400; Middle English crinklen; akin to Old English crincan to bend, yield, Dutch krinkelen to crinkle; cringle, cringe, crank ¹, -le

Example Sentences

I give a tired smile and feel my swollen eye crinkle.

From Literature

Asase’s forehead crinkles, as if I asked her why humans breathe.

From Literature

Miss Mortimer laughed so hard that tears formed in the crinkles of her eyes.

From Literature

At the word “optimistic,” Lady Constance crinkled her nose in the manner of a person detecting a bad smell.

From Literature

Don’t be shy about shape or size — shoestring, steak-cut, crinkle, waffle, sweet potato — I’ll even give a pass to tater tots for the sake of this exercise.

From Salon

Related Words

• pucker
• scrunch