blink back tears

idiom

variants or blink away tears
: to prevent oneself from crying or to make tears go away by blinking
He blinked back (his) tears as he told us the bad news.

Examples of blink back tears in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, appeared to blink back tears during the Trudeau's rousing speech on stage at the closing show for the Invictus Games at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada on Feb. 16. Janine Henni, People.com, 17 Feb. 2025 Prince William and Prince Harry, Kate and Meghan seemed to blink back tears before the monarch's coffin, which was draped with the Royal Standard and raised on a catafalque. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2022

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Cite this Entry

“Blink back tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blink%20back%20tears. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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