glanced; glancing
1
a
: to take a quick look at something
glanced at his watch
b
of the eyes
: to move swiftly from one thing to another
2
: to strike a surface obliquely so as to go off at an angle
The bullet glanced off the wall.
3
a
: to make sudden quick movements
dragonflies glancing over the pond
b
: to flash or gleam with quick intermittent rays of light
brooks glancing in the sun
4
: to touch on a subject or refer to it briefly or indirectly
The work glances at the customs of ancient cultures.
1
: to give an oblique path of direction to:
a
: to throw or shoot so that the object deflects from a surface
b
archaic
: to aim (something, such as an innuendo) indirectly : insinuate
2
archaic
a
: to take a quick look at
b
: to catch a glimpse of
glancer
noun
1
a
: a quick or cursory look
was good at sizing people up at a glance
b
: a swift movement of the eyes
2
a
: a deflected impact or blow
b
archaic
: a rapid oblique movement
3
a
: a quick intermittent flash or gleam
b
archaic
: a sudden quick movement
Synonyms
Examples of glance in a Sentence
Verb
Glancing down, she noticed her shoe was untied.
I glanced at my watch.
He sat quietly, glancing through a magazine.
She glanced up from her book when he entered the room.
Noun
He gave me a quick glance over his shoulder.
I took a glance at the newspaper this morning.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Coy Phillips, the office’s chief deputy, glanced at the storm’s path, then drove around the county, checking on elderly residents or ferrying water and food to the shelter set up at the local high school.
—Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
David K. Li, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
At first glance, Krypton seemed like prequelitis taken to an extreme.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for glance 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Treinen quickly received the ball, and never even glanced toward the dugout.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Coy Phillips, the office’s chief deputy, glanced at the storm’s path, then drove around the county, checking on elderly residents or ferrying water and food to the shelter set up at the local high school.
—Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
Such a contract would, at first glance, fall short of the 10-year, $700 million deal that took worldwide superstar Shohei Ohtani across Southern California to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
At first glance, Krypton seemed like prequelitis taken to an extreme.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for glance
Dictionary Entries Near glance
Cite this Entry
“Glance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glance. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
glance
1 of 2 verb
glanced; glancing
1
: to strike and fly off at an angle
the arrow glanced off the shield
2
: to give a quick or hasty look
glanced at my watch
glanced up from a book
3
glancingly
adverb
ˈglan(t)-siŋ-lē
glance
2 of 2 noun1
: a quick flash or gleam that comes and goes
2
: an impact or blow that is turned aside
3
a
: a swift movement of the eyes
b
: a quick or hasty look
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share