twinkle out
C1 formal inseparable intransitive
In simple words
A tiny light slowly goes out or disappears.
Literal meaning: A twinkling (flickering) light going out completely.
Meanings
1 C1 formal
Of a light or star: to flicker and gradually disappear.
"One by one, the stars twinkled out as dawn approached."
Grammar: inseparable
2 C1
idiomatic
formal
Metaphorically: for something delicate — hope, life, a dream — to disappear quietly.
"The last hope of rescue twinkled out as night fell over the mountain."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Primarily a literary or poetic expression. Rarely used in everyday speech. Evokes the gentle extinction of something small and delicate, like a star, candle, or hope. Occasionally used metaphorically for a life ending quietly.
Commonly used with
star light candle hope life glimmer
Forms
Base
twinkle out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
twinkles out
he/she/it
Past simple
twinkled out
yesterday
Past participle
twinkled out
have + pp
-ing form
twinkling out
continuous
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Synonyms
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