NYT Dictionary

WINK

/ˈwɪŋk/
VerbNounWINKwink · 1 syllableGrade 9

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025, 2026

Meaning

To close one's eyes in sleep.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

From Middle English wynken, from Old English wincian (“to wink, make a sign, close the eyes, blink”, weak verb), from Proto-West Germanic *winkōn (“to close one's eyes”), from Proto-Indo-European *weng- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”). Cognate with Middle Low German winken (“to blink, wink”), German winken (“to nod, beckon, make a sign”). Related also to Saterland Frisian wäänke, Dutch wenken (“to beckon, motion”), Latin vacillare (“sway”), Lithuanian véngti (“to swerve, avoid”), Albanian vang (“tire, felloe”), Sanskrit वङ्गति (vaṅgati, “(he, she) limps”), French guigner (“to eye, sneak a look at”).

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

conniveshut one's eyes😉;);-)tiddlywinkperiwinklenictitateflashheartbeat

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 4 recorded puzzles:

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