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Glite Dictionary
😉 To close one eye 😉 A quick eye signal ⏱️ A moment 💡 To flash on and off 😭 To hold back tears
to wink

to wink

9 6.2
To blink many times to stop tears or strong feelings
  • verb
  • /wɪŋk/
translation icon : contener las lágrimas
  • wink her eyes
  • wink away tears

He tells stories about leprechauns and God, it's so dark, but you just go into it with such full commitment and you never wink, you never break.

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Examples

  • When my daughter was born, the first thing that she did, the moment she was born... ...she winked at me.

    Cop Out (2010)

  • I swallowed the lump in my throat, winked back my tears, and tried to act normal and cheerful.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • She tried to suppress her tears during the movie by winking repeatedly.

  • After hearing the sad news, he winked as he fought back his emotions.

  • To hold back his sadness at the ceremony, he kept winking to avoid crying.

Synonyms

to blink
vsto wink
41 2.9

To close and open the eyelids to stop tears from falling

is the same action but stresses repeated blinking
to blink away
vsto wink
1 5.7

To hold back tears by quickly closing your eyes

is more about repeated blinking to control tears and emotion
to blink back tears
vsto wink
1 4.9

To try to stop crying by blinking quickly

uses repeated blinking rather than very rapid blinking

Antonyms

to express
∞ 2.3

To show ideas and feelings by words or actions

Idioms

to sleep a wink
  • Informal
9 5.7

To get any sleep, usually said when someone did not sleep

to not sleep a wink
  • Informal
8 5.0

Not sleep at all during the night

in the wink of an eye
  • Informal
1 3.5

Very quickly, in an instant

wink of an eye
  • Informal
1 3.8

In a very short time

a nod's as good as a wink
  • Archaic
9.9

A small gesture, like a nod or smile, that shows agreement and tells someone to act

nudge nudge wink wink
  • NSFW
9.9

Hint at something in a joking way with a wink or small gesture

Phrasal Verbs

to wink at
4 5.6

To close one eye briefly to show playful interest

to catch a wink
1 5.5

To sleep for a short time, often during the day

to wink at
1 7.5

To pretend not to see something bad to show approval

to tip the wink
  • Informal
9.9

To give someone a secret signal or hint

Compounds

wink-wink
  • Informal
1 9.0

A small sign that shows a private joke or secret

smexy wink
  • NSFW
9.9

A short playful closing of one eye to show interest or fun

wink-a-peep
  • Informal
9.9

A quick playful look that shows secret understanding or gentle flirting

How Controlled

to hold back
108 4.2
to wink
9 6.2
to blink
41 2.9
to cry
∞ 1.0
to sob
15 1.0

Surface Forms

wink infinitive
winked past
winked past participle
winking present participle
winks third person singular

Etymology

Wink in the sense of pushing back tears comes from the simple act of 'blinking' to stop your eyes from watering, just like when you blink to clear your eyes. So to wink away tears is to try to keep them from falling by blinking and holding them back.