verb
1. force from a place or position
-
The committee winkled out the unqualified candidates
• Hypernyms: ↑remove
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s somebody
-
Something ——s somebody
2. remove or displace from a position
• Syn: ↑winkle
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s something
-
Somebody ——s somebody
* * *
winkle out [phrasal verb]
Brit
1 winkle out (something) or winkle (something) out of (someone) : to use a lot of effort to get (information) from a person
It was hard to winkle out the facts.
They winkled a confession out of him.
2 winkle (someone or something) out of (something) : to remove (someone or something) from (a place or position) by using a lot of effort
They were winkled out of their hiding places.
• • •
Main Entry: ↑winkle
Useful english dictionary. 2012.