wrinkle

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A small line or fold in skin, especially one caused by age or staying in water too long.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say a wrinkle, two wrinkles, or wrinkles in general.

   Patterns

   • a wrinkle on your face
   • wrinkles around your eyes
   • get wrinkles

   She noticed the first wrinkle on her forehead when she turned thirty.

   After soaking in the bath, his fingers were covered in wrinkles.

   The cream claims to reduce wrinkles around the eyes.

2. 2nouncountable

   A small crease or fold in fabric, paper, or another material.

   Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural for many small creases.

   Patterns

   • a wrinkle in something
   • smooth out wrinkles
   • iron out wrinkles

   There was a wrinkle in the tablecloth that she couldn't smooth out.

   He ironed the shirt to remove the wrinkles.

   The paper had a wrinkle down the middle where it had been folded.

3. 3nouncountablefigurative

   A minor problem or unexpected complication in a plan or situation.

   Grammar: Countable and usually singular in this figurative sense.

   Patterns

   • a wrinkle in something
   • iron out the wrinkles
   • there's a wrinkle

   The project is going well, but there's one wrinkle: we need more funding.

   We hit a wrinkle in our travel plans when the flight was canceled.

   The new software has a few wrinkles that need to be fixed before launch.

Word forms

Common combinations

fine wrinkles

Fine wrinkles appeared around her mouth as she smiled.

deep wrinkle

He had a deep wrinkle between his eyebrows from frowning.

wrinkle cream

She bought an expensive wrinkle cream at the department store.

iron out the wrinkles

We need to iron out the wrinkles in the schedule before the event.

Synonyms and how they differ

crease

Crease is more common for a sharp line made by folding, as in trousers or paper, while wrinkle often suggests a softer, irregular fold.

line

Line is a general word for any long thin mark on skin; wrinkle specifically suggests a fold or crease.

fold

Fold is used for a bend in fabric or paper, often deliberate; wrinkle is usually accidental and smaller.

Word family

wrinkled adjective

Having wrinkles; covered with small folds or lines.

wrinkly adjective

Full of wrinkles; often used informally about skin or fabric.

wrinkle verb

To form wrinkles or make something wrinkled.

Commonly confused: wrinkle or wrinkle?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “wrinkle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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