wink at

British  

verb

1. (intr, preposition) to connive at; disregard

   the authorities winked at corruption

---

wink at Idioms  

1. Deliberately overlook, pretend not to see, as in Sometimes it's wise to wink at a friend's shortcomings. This idiom, first recorded in 1537, uses wink in the sense of “close one's eyes.”

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wink at

She also joined Madix in a meta ad for Sonic in which the two sip the fast-food chain’s new “Refreshers” and wink at their shared experiences.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

My mother-in-law would wink at this point and say, “that was my cousin Sam Walton. That’s what they say anyway.”

From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2025

That’s part of the dance of rap beefs though, to have artistic license but a wink at real life resonance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2025

His rendition of Fly Me To the Moon impressed the judges, as did his boyish charm - he showed a cheeky streak when he flashed a mid-song wink at Girls Aloud star Cheryl.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2024

Sandy used to wink at her like that when he was alive.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• acquit
• condone
• defend
• exempt
• exonerate
• explain
• forgive
• indulge
• let go
• pardon
• relieve
• spare
• tolerate

---