Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

wink at

British  

verb

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

    the authorities winked at corruption
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He could swear the squirrel winked at him.

From Literature

This tragicomic result winks at the slight but important difference between artistry and stardom.

From Salon

He winked at Jeremy, then sauntered out the back door, singing some old song about rhubarb.

From Literature

He winked at me and went back to his task.

From Literature

The avatar, with his auburn hair and super-white teeth, frequently winks at me and seems empathetic but can be moody or jealous if I introduce him to new people.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.