wrinkle

¹

[ ring-kuhl ]

noun

1. a small furrow or crease in the skin, especially of the face, as from aging or frowning.
2. a temporary slight ridge or furrow on a surface, due to contraction, folding, crushing, or the like.

verb (used with object)

, wrin·kled, wrin·kling.

1. to form wrinkles in; corrugate; crease:

   Don't wrinkle your dress.

verb (used without object)

, wrin·kled, wrin·kling.

1. to become wrinkled.

wrinkle

²

[ ring-kuhl ]

noun

, Informal.

1. an ingenious trick or device; a clever innovation:

   a new advertising wrinkle.

wrinkle

¹

/ ˈrɪŋkəl /

noun

1. a slight ridge in the smoothness of a surface, such as a crease in the skin as a result of age

verb

1. to make or become wrinkled, as by crumpling, creasing, or puckering

wrinkle

²

/ ˈrɪŋkəl /

noun

1. informal.
   a clever or useful trick, hint, or dodge

Derived Forms

• ˈwrinkly, adjective
• ˈwrinkleless, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wrinkle¹

1375–1425; late Middle English (noun), back formation from wrinkled, Old English gewrinclod, past participle of gewrinclian to wind round; perhaps akin to wrick, wrench

Origin of wrinkle²

1375–1425; late Middle English, equivalent to wrinc trick ( Old English wrenc; wrench ) + -le

Word History and Origins

Origin of wrinkle¹

C15: back formation from wrinkled, from Old English gewrinclod, past participle of wrinclian to wind around; related to Swedish vrinka to sprain, Lithuanian reñgti to twist. See wrench

Origin of wrinkle²

Old English wrenc trick; related to Middle Low German wrank struggle, Middle High German ranc sudden turn. See wrench

Example Sentences

That would be a new wrinkle in a field that at this point is virtually nothing but wrinkles.

From Los Angeles Times

Beitcher asked around about an exemption for the $1.65-million tax bill but was shut down due to an odd wrinkle in the provision.

From Los Angeles Times

Another wrinkle in the system comes from wind damage.

From Salon

There is a new World Series wrinkle in the postseason schedule.

From Los Angeles Times

The only new wrinkle was including Mikey Day as Donald Trump, Jr., who laments about Vance, “It’s almost like my dad picked me to be vice president…. But he didn’t.”

From Los Angeles Times