winkle out
winkle out · winkles out · winkled out · winkling out
To acquire with difficulty, as by thorough scrutinyTo acquire with difficulty, as by thorough scrutiny.
Meaning
2 senses(UK, transitive)To acquire with difficulty, as by thorough scrutiny.
Tom managed to winkle the truth out of John eventually.
(transitive)To get (something or someone) out of an entrenched position.
remove or displace from a position
Origin
From winkle (“to extract”), from periwinkle (“a mollusk”).From winkle (“to extract”), from periwinkle (“a mollusk”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
winkles out, winkling out, winkled out, winkled out| Base form | winkle out · to winkle out |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | winkles out |
| Present participle | winkling out |
| Past simple | winkled out |
| Past participle | winkled out |
irregular
Synonyms
1 synonymsClose in meaning
- remove or displace from a position:winkle
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Phrasal verbs: introduction — Because it is a phrasal verb