1 A2 neutral
To close one eye briefly and deliberately as a signal of shared understanding, flirtation, or reassurance.
"He winked at her across the table to let her know he had kept their secret."
inseparable
wink at
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
To close one eye briefly at someone as a signal or flirtatious gesture; or figuratively, to knowingly overlook or tolerate something improper.
In plain English
To close one eye at someone to send a message; or to pretend not to notice something wrong.
What does "wink at" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To deliberately overlook or unofficially tolerate wrongdoing or rule-breaking.
"For decades, the authorities winked at the illegal practice rather than enforcing the law."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To close one eye directed at a person — transparent.
Actually means
To close one eye at someone to send a message; or to pretend not to notice something wrong.
Usage tip
The literal sense is common and transparent. The figurative sense (tolerating rule-breaking) is widely used in journalism and political commentary. 'Wink at corruption' is a fixed-ish collocation.
Words that pair with "wink at"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
corruption rule-breaking violation friend camera audience
How to conjugate "wink at"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
wink at
I/you/we/they
3rd person
winks at
he/she/it
Past simple
winked at
yesterday
Past participle
winked at
have + pp
-ing form
winking at
continuous
Hear "wink at" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "wink at" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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