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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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
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.
Recent Examples of squint
Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026 The answer is yes, though fans might have to squint really hard to see some, but not all, of the positives. —Josh Robbins, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for squint
Verb
Roughly 65% of the population sleeps on their side, and research shows that habit creates a specific type of facial aging that’s entirely separate from the lines caused by smiling or squinting. —Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026 The answer is yes, though fans might have to squint really hard to see some, but not all, of the positives. —Josh Robbins, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
And in a third, the gaunt 30-year-old killer flexes, purses his lips and squints. —Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for squint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squint
Verb
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Two pairs of staring eyes, in intimate contact.— John McPhee, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
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Since the discovery of the bacterial flagellar motor in the 1970s, biologists and creationists alike have marveled at its design like medieval architects staring with awe at the dome of the Pantheon built by their Roman ancestors.— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
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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Encouraging us to shift our gaze from the wall to our devices — to assume that accursed downward tilt of the neck when splendors abound before our eyes — is simply detrimental.— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
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Romvari is just getting started in her career, while still determined to keep her expectations manageable — her gaze fixated squarely on creating and improving.— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Christel Krueger peered through thick glass and murky water at the Berlin Zoo, staring in awe at a mother hippopotamus and her child sleeping on a sandbar.— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
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At the event, children could make paper at an activity table and experience animals inside the museum, including Augie, a red-eared slider turtle, who swam to the surface briefly when visitors peered into the pool.— Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For users with astigmatism, the solution is less straightforward: the company plans to release an external prescription lens frame that can be fitted with custom lenses at an optical store.— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 6 Mar. 2026
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Benjamin Franklin would invent bifocals in 1874, Thomas Young would spot the uneven curvature of the cornea (astigmatism) in 1801, and steel wire would be developed in metal frames after 1837.— Daniel Fusch, Ascend Agency, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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This model also includes cellular connectivity and Nano Texture Glass for the least glare of any tablet on the market.— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
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Even polarizing lenses which can dramatically reduce glare, does so at the expense of cutting down on the light passing through the lens.— John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs And Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Clarke nearly robbed him at the center-field fence, but the ball glanced off his glove.— CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
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The photo, taken at Balmoral Castle in 2015, showed a young George holding hands with his father while a baby Charlotte, held by her mother, glanced at her great-grandparents as the Queen smiled back at her.— Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Maybe only 22 percent of Americans would readily accept Homelander as their one true God, but his vision might also appeal to those Christians whose fanatic prejudices outweigh any specific loyalty to the Bible and its lessons in compassion.— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
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Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen created WildLand to help achieve his ambitious 200-year vision to rewild 220,000 acres in the Highlands.— Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/squint. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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