1
: a short tight twist or curl caused by a doubling or winding of something upon itself
2
a
: a mental or physical peculiarity : eccentricity, quirk
b
: whim
3
: a clever unusual way of doing something
4
: a cramp in some part of the body
5
: an imperfection likely to cause difficulties in the operation of something
6
: unconventional sexual taste or behavior
kinked; kinking; kinks
: to form a kink
: to make a kink in
Synonyms
Examples of kink in a Sentence
Noun
got a kink in my neck from lying in that awkward position for too long
the boss's fondness for nicknames is one of those kinks that staffers just have to put up with
Recent Examples on the Web
Jake Offenhartz, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Get everything set up one day ahead for a practice run to work out any kinks.
—William Neff, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
That didn’t stop the team from trying to iron out a few kinks with its 2024 car, RB 20.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024
Some wildland firefighters describe the fire bug as something that’s always existed inside them, like a kink in their DNA.
—M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 29 Feb. 2024
As with all startups and all AI, there are kinks to work out.
—Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
Scar tissue forms adhesions, which can cause your intestines to become twisted and blocked, almost like a garden hose with a kink.
—Pam Moore, C.p.t., SELF, 13 Mar. 2024
Due to a kink in the FAFSA system, parents without social security numbers are unable to complete their portion of the application.
—Hannah Poukish, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile, Big Tech players, such as Apple, have been more conservative in their AI efforts, waiting for others to work out the kinks.
—Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 23 Feb. 2024
Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
The container should be big enough to accommodate the roots without bending or kinking them.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024
Frieze Cut: Frieze carpet is distinguished by its long fibers that are twisted together and kinked, resulting in a curly, knobby-looking surface often compared to a shag carpet.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2023
That practically eliminates the chance of the line kinking.
—Sage Marshall, Field & Stream, 19 July 2023
Testers found that the hose did kink a bit, but the kinks straightened out quickly.
—Jamie Weissman, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 June 2023
The hose straightened out nicely when unpackaged and didn’t kink during testing.
—Camryn Rabideau, Peoplemag, 7 June 2023
Noun
At a press conference Tuesday, Adams, a Democrat, suggested that allowing users to find issues is just part of ironing out kinks in new technology.
—Jake Offenhartz, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Get everything set up one day ahead for a practice run to work out any kinks.
—William Neff, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
That didn’t stop the team from trying to iron out a few kinks with its 2024 car, RB 20.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024
Some wildland firefighters describe the fire bug as something that’s always existed inside them, like a kink in their DNA.
—M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 29 Feb. 2024
As with all startups and all AI, there are kinks to work out.
—Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
Scar tissue forms adhesions, which can cause your intestines to become twisted and blocked, almost like a garden hose with a kink.
—Pam Moore, C.p.t., SELF, 13 Mar. 2024
Due to a kink in the FAFSA system, parents without social security numbers are unable to complete their portion of the application.
—Hannah Poukish, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile, Big Tech players, such as Apple, have been more conservative in their AI efforts, waiting for others to work out the kinks.
—Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
In heavy fog, the towboat's pilot, Willie Odom, struck the bridge, which forced the end of the bridge span out of alignment by about 3 feet and kinked the track.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
The container should be big enough to accommodate the roots without bending or kinking them.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024
Frieze Cut: Frieze carpet is distinguished by its long fibers that are twisted together and kinked, resulting in a curly, knobby-looking surface often compared to a shag carpet.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2023
That practically eliminates the chance of the line kinking.
—Sage Marshall, Field & Stream, 19 July 2023
Testers found that the hose did kink a bit, but the kinks straightened out quickly.
—Jamie Weissman, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 June 2023
The hose straightened out nicely when unpackaged and didn’t kink during testing.
—Camryn Rabideau, Peoplemag, 7 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kink.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Dutch; akin to Middle Low German kinke kink
First Known Use
Noun
1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1625, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Articles Related to kink
Dictionary Entries Near kink
Cite this Entry
“Kink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kink. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
kink
1 of 2 noun1
: a short tight twist or curl (as in a thread, rope, or hose)
2
: cramp entry 1 sense 1
a kink in my back
3
: an imperfection that makes something hard to use or work
kink
2 of 2 verb
: to form or cause to form a kink
Medical Definition
kink
1 of 2 noun1
: a short tight twist or curl caused by a doubling or winding of something upon itself
2
: a cramp in some part of the body
kink
2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to form a kink
: to make a kink in
blood vessels have been kinked and shut off—Benjamin Spock
Benjamin Spock
More from Merriam-Webster on kink
Nglish: Translation of kink for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of kink for Arabic Speakers
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