wrinkle

wrinkle — noun

1. a narrow crease that naturally appears in the skin over time, especially as a pe

1.nounB1
Definition

a narrow crease that naturally appears in the skin over time, especially as a person gets older

Example

The fine wrinkles around Amani's eyes deepened every time she laughed.

collocation: wrinkles deepen / appear

Layla started using a night cream to reduce the wrinkles on her forehead.

collocation: reduce wrinkles

Common collocations
  • deep wrinkles
  • fine wrinkles
  • facial wrinkles
  • wrinkles appear
  • wrinkles deepen
  • reduce wrinkles
  • wrinkle cream
  • wrinkles around the eyes
Synonyms
  • fine line

    cosmetics-industry term, less negative connotation

  • crow's feet

    specifically the wrinkles at the outer eye corners

  • crease

    a sharper, pressed line, not necessarily age-related

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

wrinkle + in/on + body part

wrinkle + appear/form + on face

Usage Note

In cosmetics marketing, 'fine lines' is preferred over 'wrinkles' because it sounds gentler. 'Crow's feet' refers specifically to the small wrinkles that appear at the outer corners of the eyes.

Common Mistakes

She has wrinkles on her cloth.
There are wrinkles in her dress.
For textiles, use 'in' rather than 'on'.

2. an unwanted ridge or crease on fabric, paper, or any smooth material

2.nounB1
Definition

an unwanted ridge or crease on fabric, paper, or any smooth material

Example

Christopher ironed his shirt to remove the wrinkles before the job interview.

collocation: remove wrinkles

The poster had a big wrinkle in the middle from being rolled up too tightly.

Common collocations
  • iron out wrinkles
  • remove wrinkles
  • smooth out wrinkles
  • get wrinkles out of fabric
  • wrinkle-free fabric
Synonyms
  • crease

    a sharper, more defined line, often pressed intentionally

  • fold

    a bend in material, can be deliberate or accidental

  • crumple

    a mass of small irregular wrinkles, as in crushed paper

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

wrinkle + in + cloth/paper/surface

wrinkle + on + surface

Usage Note

A 'wrinkle' in fabric is typically unwanted. A deliberate fold — such as in a pleated skirt — is called a 'pleat' or 'fold', not a wrinkle.

Common Mistakes

I ironed the wrinkle on my pants.
I ironed the wrinkles out of my pants.
The preposition 'out of' is the natural choice when describing removal.

3. a small unexpected difficulty in a plan or process

3.nounB2
Definition

a small unexpected difficulty in a plan or process

Example

The hotel booking was perfect except for one small wrinkle — a broken air conditioner.

idiom: a wrinkle in the plan

The team ironed out all the wrinkles in the software before the launch.

collocation: iron out wrinkles

Common collocations
  • iron out the wrinkles
  • work out the wrinkles
  • a small wrinkle
  • the only wrinkle
  • a wrinkle in the plan
Synonyms
  • glitch

    a temporary technical fault, more common in computing contexts

  • hitch

    a minor obstacle that causes a short delay

  • snag

    an unexpected and usually small problem, especially in a schedule

Grammar Patterns

a wrinkle + in + plan/contract/schedule

Usage Note

This sense is almost always used in the fixed phrases 'a wrinkle' or 'iron out the wrinkles'. It is common in business and project-planning contexts but less frequent in casual conversation. The problem described must be minor — serious issues are not called wrinkles.

Common Mistakes

This is a big wrinkle in our plan.
This is a small wrinkle in our plan.
This sense describes only minor problems; use 'major problem' or 'setback' for serious issues.
Idioms

iron out the wrinkles

idiom

to solve the small problems that remain in a plan, system, or piece of work so that it works smoothly

The director wanted a few more rehearsals to iron out the wrinkles before opening night.

wrinkle — verb

Word family

  • wrinkled
    adjectiveB1
  • wrinkly
    adjectiveB2
  • wrinkle-free
    adjectiveB2
  • unwrinkled
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four terms all describe lines on the skin, but they differ in scope and connotation. 'Wrinkle' is the broadest and most neutral term for any age-related line or fold in the skin. 'Fine line' is a marketing-friendly euphemism used by the cosmetics industry for shallower wrinkles, making them sound less severe. 'Crow's feet' is highly specific: it describes only the small fan-shaped lines at the outer corners of the eyes. 'Crease' refers to a sharper, deeper line that looks pressed into the skin, such as the nasolabial fold from the nose to the mouth. In everyday conversation, people say 'I'm getting wrinkles around my eyes' (not 'crow's feet' unless being precise) and 'this cream reduces fine lines' (not 'wrinkles,' which sounds harsher in advertising).

wrinkle ↗fine linecrow's feetcrease

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicEnglish

The word 'wrinkle' comes from Old English 'gewrinclod', the past participle of 'wrinclian' (to wind or bend). It is related to Old Frisian 'wrenk' and Old High German 'ringan' (to struggle, to twist), going back to an ancient Germanic root meaning 'to turn or twist.' The idea of a small twist or bend in a surface led to the meaning of a crease in skin or cloth. The figurative sense of a 'small problem' (as in 'iron out the wrinkles') appeared in American English around the early 1900s, imagining a difficulty as a small crease in an otherwise smooth plan.