Definition of wrinkle in English:

1A slight line or fold in something, especially fabric or the skin of the face.

1. 1.1informal A minor difficulty; a snag.
   ‘the organizers have the wrinkles pretty well ironed out’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Look at it through Mr Woods' eyes, however, and it becomes clear that all we have suffered is a minor wrinkle in our otherwise impeccable existence.’
   • ‘A coach has to help the members of the time iron out the wrinkles in their game, like correcting someone's stance, bowling actions, grip, etc.’
   • ‘Her brief monologue as an Eastern European immigrant points the show in an interesting direction, but Naked Heart's other wrinkles need to be ironed out.’
   • ‘Since then we've corresponded quite a bit, met in person, and now I'm helping co-produce his film and he's helping me iron out the wrinkles in my script.’
   • ‘It's difficult to escape the feeling that this production is just a dry run to iron out the wrinkles for the rose-tinted gaze of an Irish-American audience.’
   • ‘The developers have taken a solid game, added new features and ironed out a few wrinkles.’
   • ‘The theory of punctuated equilibrium will come to be seen in proportion, as an interesting but minor wrinkle on the surface of Neo-Darwinian theory.’
   • ‘A spokesman told El Reg: ‘We haven't had any complaints over the weekend, so we think the wrinkles have been ironed out.’’
   • ‘Although we have some concerns with the bill as proposed, our reason for supporting it is the opportunity to iron out its wrinkles in the select committee process.’
   • ‘It is an absolutely perfect method for controlling the screen and with a few little wrinkles to iron out, could replace the mouse in just a few years.’
   • ‘With that the pair of rebels took their leave of the chief and went to iron out all the wrinkles in their plans.’
   • ‘The simple fact is that it was not given sufficient time to iron out all the wrinkles before the scheme started.’
   • ‘This is a little riskier, but ten years should be long enough for any stock market wrinkles to be ironed out.’
   • ‘Indeed, each patient seems to add a new wrinkle to an age-old problem.’
   • ‘We always felt once we had ironed out the wrinkles we could develop our game.’
   • ‘Brand says many of the complaints were ‘legitimate and fair,’ and he believes he and his staff have ironed out most of the wrinkles.’
   • ‘Testing, he argues, has had positive consequences in some states, and the wrinkles in the system can be ironed out in the years ahead.’
   • ‘The few wrinkles in the program have been ironed out for year two.’
   • ‘It stands to reason that the occasional melodic wrinkle that pops up here should be fairly well ironed out by their next effort, which I'll be looking forward to.’

2informal A clever innovation, or useful piece of information or advice.

1Make or cause lines or folds in (something, especially fabric or the skin)

1. 1.1Grimace and cause wrinkles on (a part of the face)
   ‘he sniffed and wrinkled his nose’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Sapphire tried the cheese and wrinkled her face in disgust.’
   • ‘Teiala wrinkled her face in confusion as they headed back for the library.’
   • ‘A strong cringe wrinkled his face and he moaned loudly as he closed his eyes again.’
   • ‘Gil chuckled, his protective eyes wrinkling his face in the dim light.’
   • ‘Hauser is about as bland as they come, robotically experiencing happiness, pain, and anger without ever messing his dyed hair or wrinkling his smoothed face.’
   • ‘Malvina looked across at her patient, a slight frown wrinkling her young face as she wondered at his ill-health.’
   • ‘I sniffed them and wrinkled my nose and the nurse, Nurse Annie, laughed.’
   • ‘She wrinkled her nose and twisted her mouth in that appealing grimace of hers, then silently nodded and opened the door part-way.’
   • ‘I surreptitiously sniffed at my own armpits and wrinkled my nose a little.’
   • ‘His executive assistant Robyn Cheung sniffed at the black currant muffin in her hand and wrinkled her nose.’
   • ‘Dilip Kumar, the great romantic hero, we saw, wrinkled his nose at her background.’
   • ‘Catalyne wrinkled her nose, her entire face contorting with disgust.’
   • ‘Kendall wrinkled her nose enhancing her freckles splattered across her face.’
   • ‘Sarah smiled and wrinkled her nose with a smirk on her face.’
   • ‘She wrinkled her nose in distaste, gesturing to her clothing.’
   • ‘She wrinkled her nose and took the bag in her small hand.’
   • ‘She wrinkled her nose and murmured curses under her breath.’
   • ‘Charlie, who was unaccustomed to medical facilities of any kind, wrinkled her nose at the antiseptic appearance of the room.’
   • ‘She wrinkled her nose as she caught a whiff of disinfectant.’
   • ‘Picking up a baby blue Roxy shirt, she wrinkled her nose and tossed it back into the ever-growing pile of clothes on the floor behind her.’
2. 1.2no object Form or become marked with lines or folds.
   ‘her brow wrinkled’
   More example sentences

   • ‘There was a slight scowl on his face as his lips tightened to a thin line and his brow wrinkled in irritated contemplation.’
   • ‘Adam recoiled, and his brow wrinkled in confusion.’
   • ‘Mr. Fenton gazed at her for a time with his brows somewhat wrinkled.’
   • ‘His brow wrinkled as if to ask me what was wrong, and I just sighed.’
   • ‘He paused for a moment, obviously thinking as his tan brow wrinkled.’
   • ‘His brow wrinkled as his thoughts drifted back fifteen years ago, to events that were forever etched into his memory.’
   • ‘His brow wrinkled with contemplation at the events unfolding before him.’
   • ‘Katy's brow wrinkled and she tensed, preparing herself for the instructions coming.’
   • ‘He was completely bald, so when his brow wrinkled, everything on his head wrinkled.’
   • ‘And ooh, I could just see the noses wrinkling and the brows furrowing.’
   • ‘A vast brown curtain, wrinkled and puckered and covered in fine brown hairs, was stretched across a wide opening.’
   • ‘His forehead wrinkled, and I saw the lines of worry on his face.’
   • ‘Her blue eyes were narrowed, her mouth scrunched up, her forehead wrinkled.’
   • ‘Linda's lips wrinkled down, a strand of hair pasted against her cheek.’
   • ‘Lisle stockings were compulsory and much disliked as they did not fit well and wrinkled at the ankles.’
   • ‘She frowned at him and the corners of her mouth wrinkled up drawing her mouth into a thin little red painted line across her face.’
   • ‘Kuper queried, his eyebrows forming a crease in his forehead as it wrinkled in confusion.’
   • ‘‘Lips can line and wrinkle easily if not looked after properly and this can make your face look older,’ said Lisa Sharratt of balm-makers Lypsyl.’
   • ‘She seemed about the same age as Mrs Lewis up at the hotel, thought Chrissy, but her face was prematurely wrinkled, weathered by sun and saltwater.’
   • ‘Is there any food you can eat, supplement you can take, or nutrient-rich lotion you can rub on that will keep your skin from sagging and wrinkling as you age?’
   Synonyms

   crease, pucker, gather, furrow, line, cover with lines, corrugate, crinkle, crimp, crumple, rumple, ruck up, scrunch up

   View synonyms