crinkle

1 of 3

verb

crin·​kle ˈkriŋ-kəl How to pronounce crinkle (audio)
crinkled; crinkling ˈkriŋ-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce crinkle (audio)
Synonyms of crinklenext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to form many short bends or ripples
b
: wrinkle
2
: to give forth a thin crackling sound : rustle
crinkling silks

transitive verb

: to cause to crinkle : make crinkles in

crinkle

2 of 3

noun

1
: wrinkle, corrugation, pucker
2
: any of several virus diseases of plants marked by crinkling of leaves
crinkly
ˈkriŋ-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce crinkle (audio)
adjective

crinkly

3 of 3

adjective

crin·​kly
variants or less commonly crinkley
ˈkriŋ-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce crinkly (audio)
-er/-est
1
: full of crinkles : wavy, wrinkly
2
: crackly, rustling

Synonyms of crinkle

Relevance

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of crinkle in a Sentence

Verb The corners of his eyes crinkle when he smiles. a paper seat cover that crinkles with every move Noun little crinkles at the corners of his mouth showed whenever he smiled
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
The beauty of this maxi dress is that it’s intentionally crinkled, with an airy feel that heightens its rich-looking design. — Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026 This cotton gauze design ticks every box with an elastic waistband and side pockets, but the real win is that the fabric is crinkled and textured, which means any wrinkles from the suitcase are undetectable. — Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 21 July 2026
Noun
Melissa & Doug Flip Fish Soft Baby Toy This cuddly fish friend squeaks and crinkles. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026 Bake until edges of cookies are set and tops crinkle, 10 to 12 minutes. — Emily Paster, Midwest Living, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crinkle

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English crynkelen; akin to Old English cringan to yield

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1750, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crinkle was in 1596

Rhymes for crinkle

See All Rhymes for crinkle

Browse Nearby Words

crink
crinkle
crinkleawn
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crinkle. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

crinkle

1 of 2 verb
crin·​kle ˈkriŋ-kəl How to pronounce crinkle (audio)
crinkled; crinkling -k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce crinkle (audio)
1
: to form or cause little waves or wrinkles on the surface
2
: rustle entry 1 sense 1
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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