crinkle
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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to wrinkle; crimple; ripple.
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to make slight, sharp sounds; rustle.
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to turn or wind in many little bends and twists.
noun
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a wrinkle or ripple.
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a crinkling sound.
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a turn or twist.
verb
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to form or cause to form wrinkles, twists, or folds
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to make or cause to make a rustling noise
noun
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a wrinkle, twist, or fold
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a rustling noise
Etymology
Origin of crinkle
1350–1400; Middle English crinklen; akin to Old English crincan to bend, yield, Dutch krinkelen to crinkle; cringle, cringe, crank 1, -le
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Don’t be shy about shape or size — shoestring, steak-cut, crinkle, waffle, sweet potato — I’ll even give a pass to tater tots for the sake of this exercise.
From Salon • Sep. 16, 2025
By 8:45 a.m., the clouds cleared, the sun came out, and the grass in Nielson’s fist began to crinkle and snap.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2025
He made sure to sleep atop paperwork so it didn’t crinkle, and that the computer keyboard was in proper working order as he tested it by walking across it.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2023
Macfarlane, a seasoned lead of a dozen-plus straight Hallmark holiday romances including “Sense, Sensibility and Snowmen” and “A Shoe Addict’s Christmas,” is skilled at a Labradoresque eyebrow crinkle that could make anyone swoon.
From New York Times • Sep. 29, 2022
Moss saw her face crinkle up in terror.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
