winkle

7 synonyms for winkle, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A periwinkle, a small edible sea snail with a spiral shell.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

flash

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

blink wink

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

twinkle periwinkle winkle out scintillate

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A periwinkle, a small edible sea snail with a spiral shell.

“They bought a bag of winkles from the seafood stall and ate them with a pin.”

flash blink wink twinkle periwinkle winkle out scintillate

2. verb

To winkle out: to get information, an object, or a person out of somewhere with effort or cunning.

“It took hours to winkle the truth out of him.”

scintillate blink flash wink twinkle

How to use winkle

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

winkle out a bag of winkles

Etymology

Shortened from "periwinkle," the name of the small edible sea snail.

Full origin of winkle →

Frequently asked questions

What does “winkle” mean?

The word “winkle” means a periwinkle, a small edible sea snail with a spiral shell. In plain terms, a small edible sea snail, or (as a verb with "out") to painstakingly extract something.

How do you pronounce “winkle”?

“Winkle” is pronounced WIHNG-kuhl (/ˈwɪŋkəl/ in IPA).

How do you use “winkle” in a sentence?

Here is “winkle” used in a sentence: “They bought a bag of winkles from the seafood stall and ate them with a pin.”

What part of speech is “winkle”?

Depending on how it is used, “winkle” can be a noun and a verb.

How many meanings does “winkle” have?

“Winkle” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a periwinkle, a small edible sea snail with a spiral shell.

People also searched

flash blink wink twinkle periwinkle scintillate

Nearby words

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