as in to stare
to take a look with the eyes narrowed (as because of difficulty seeing)
He squinted in her direction, but couldn't make her out with the sun behind her.
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1
as in strabismus
British
difficulty in seeing resulting from improper alignment of the eyes
The child was born with a squint that was eventually corrected through surgery.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squint
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Those who made the trek squinted at football from baseball sight lines in a domed stadium that felt lifeless.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024
Through squints, yells, and outsize reactions, Tadanobu Asano created a character whose interiority is always roiling and reaching, someone who finds life unfulfilling and doesn’t understand why this is all there is.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for squint
Verb
Pups who suffer from this condition may squint their eyes and appear to be in discomfort under direct, intense sunlight.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Those who made the trek squinted at football from baseball sight lines in a domed stadium that felt lifeless.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Noun
Bad Boys 4: Ride or Die with a palpably slower, thicker Martin Lawrence (*collective squint) nears $300 million globally.
—Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024
Through squints, yells, and outsize reactions, Tadanobu Asano created a character whose interiority is always roiling and reaching, someone who finds life unfulfilling and doesn’t understand why this is all there is.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for squint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squint
Verb
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But after the initial five seconds of being off-leash and staring at Han, Swanson took his chance.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Aug. 2025
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For a moment, while the nation stared at her from their living rooms, this woman had closed her eyes.—
Deborah Levy,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Barrel Cards The barrel card exercise can help improve symptoms of strabismus (crossed eyes).—
Laura Schober,
Health,
12 Feb. 2025
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One of his conditions, strabismus,has also been reported by researchers to be behind the genius of Leonardo da Vinci, allowing the painter to perceive the world differently and facilitating his accurate depiction of three-dimensional objects on flat surfaces.—
Maya Davis,
CNN,
4 Aug. 2024
Noun
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What are your thoughts on the implications of the movie’s sexualizing gaze?—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Aug. 2025
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In this case, Chanel didn't even need to step out of her carrier—her gaze alone sent the resident cats scrambling for safety.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Since the first variation of Eustace by R. Crumb in 1994, there have been forty-five interpretations published on the cover; yet Sherman’s is the first one where the character is peering into a mirror.—
Françoise Mouly,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
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To peer deep into space, observatories like the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) use radio dishes to study cosmic structures at radio wavelengths.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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For instance, people with astigmatism benefit from toric lenses.—
Malana VanTyler,
AZCentral.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Toric IOLs: These lenses correct for astigmatism and are available in monofocal, multifocal, and EDOF form.—
Ann Pietrangelo,
Verywell Health,
28 May 2025
Noun
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Since launching her career a decade ago, the youngest Cyrus sibling has been carving her own path while facing addiction and mental health struggles in the glare of a spotlight focused on her famous family.—
Jeff Nelson,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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The glare of media scrutiny is on Milan’s Christian Pulisic after his decision to rule himself out of selection for the USMNT at the Gold Cup.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Joe was about to approach, glanced at Shari, paused.—
Stayton Bonner,
Rolling Stone,
19 Aug. 2025
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Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer glanced from the dugout to the visitors’ side Monday morning, where the Milwaukee Brewers were doing light pregame work.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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That vision has since been trimmed, aiming to now connect just a 170-mile stretch of land with questions surrounding its viability.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
28 Aug. 2025
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This is the vision Matt Baker wants to bring to Idaho’s second-largest city.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squint. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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