1
as in cramps
a painful sudden tightening of a muscle
got a kink in my neck from lying in that awkward position for too long
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in tricks
an odd or peculiar habit
the boss's fondness for nicknames is one of those kinks that staffers just have to put up with
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whims
a sudden impulsive and apparently unmotivated idea or action
whenever he got a kink in his head, he'd drop whatever he was doing to pursue this latest obsession
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kinks
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Through its ten episodes, The Paper works out some of its kinks, as so many freshman sitcoms do.
—Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Steve Sarkisian is a great offensive mind, but opening up in Columbus against Ohio State doesn’t give you a lot of time to work out the kinks.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
The Knicks’ core remains intact, and these long trips are where bonds are forged and kinks get worked out.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025
And in the time since the bankruptcy, Northvolt’s remaining staff have continued to work out engineering kinks in the facilities.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The morning did not go off without a few kinks, though.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
These kinks can move around and, in the right conditions, behave just like atoms.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Through its ten episodes, The Paper works out some of its kinks, as so many freshman sitcoms do.
—Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Steve Sarkisian is a great offensive mind, but opening up in Columbus against Ohio State doesn’t give you a lot of time to work out the kinks.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
The Knicks’ core remains intact, and these long trips are where bonds are forged and kinks get worked out.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025
And in the time since the bankruptcy, Northvolt’s remaining staff have continued to work out engineering kinks in the facilities.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The morning did not go off without a few kinks, though.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kinks
Noun
-
The most common symptoms are diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, according to the CDC.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Symptoms of foodborne illnesses include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps and fever, according to the CDC.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Dillon took a beat to think about what works for him before sharing his tips and tricks to remaining youthful.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Weaver shares his go-to honey tips, tricks and cocktail recipes.—
Brittany Anas,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
These were not just silly geographical whims, Jessica Winter pointed out at the time.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The Fed’s independence has been central to the United States’ role as the globe’s preeminent economic power; investors worldwide believe the central bank won’t act on a president’s whims.—
Jackie Calmes,
Mercury News,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Bolaño was drawn to the personalized quirks—and above all, the irresistibly peachy sunlight that streamed through large windows.—
Keith Flanagan,
Architectural Digest,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The upside is enticing, but every option comes with its own quirks, risks, and moving parts.—
Roomy Khan,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Harry's uncompromising, one sided view of notions like truth, lies and accountability may sound warning sirens about whether reconciliation is possible in the long-term.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
This was Maxwell’s (classical) theory for electromagnetism, putting the previously distinct notions of electricity and magnetism together into a unified footing.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
These characteristics make the merger an almost exact replica of that first, groundbreaking detection from 10 years ago, according to Isi.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
-
These characteristics resemble those of unshrouded quasars previously detected at Cosmic Dawn.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Both his African heritage and his new exploration of the verisimilitudes and vagaries of New York City life paint the ongoing development of The Watchman, sometimes featured as the key figure as in the monumental portrait, AH!—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
While Jane Austen is best known for skewering the vagaries of romantic love in her novels, there is another, equally complicated and meaningful type of relationship that runs through them, too — that of siblings.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The text, too, warps the truth.—
Jillian Steinhauer,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The massive object warps spacetime and thus the path of light from that background source.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kinks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kinks. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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