wink away

wink away

1. Of a source of light, to blink or twinkle continuously. I always dread seeing the red light of my answering machine winking away when I come into my office in the morning. We lay out on the grass beneath the night sky, watching the myriad stars winking away.
2. To open and close one or both of one's eyes frequently or continually. The child exited the house and stood winking away in the bright sunlight. I winked away at him, but he didn't take notice of my signal.
3. To force or clear something from one or both of one's eyes by blinking or winking. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wink" and "away." She winked away the tears as she left from the disastrous job interview. I was still winking the sleep away when Margaret sprung the news on me.
4. To ignore, dismiss, or disregard something in a very casual or flippant manner. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wink" and "away." Are you actually going to do something about this grave insult, or will you simply wink it away like you always do? He was caught admitting to adultery in the recording, but he just winked away the implications when confronted by the media.
See also: away, wink
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

wink something away

to blink the eyes to try to clear them of tears, dirt, etc. He looked up at me and tried to wink away his tears, but he was just too upset. Jane winked away her tears.
See also: away, wink
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
See also:
References in periodicals archive ?
Puno, chairperson of the Consultative Committee (Con-Com) tasked to review the 1987 Constitution, said that 'we can no longer wink away the fact that political dynasties have putrefied our politics.'
The fish's cold stare and toothy grin smacked of indifference, as if we were just another blip in the long parade of species that will wink away while their genealogy marches on for millennia.
An air of mock seriousness permeates the second half of the film, even with Ant and Dec delivering performances that are one cheeky, knowing wink away from playing themselves.