Winkled

Recently such a result in Ivory Coast led to a civil war before Laurent Gbagbo could be winkled out of the presidential palace at the end of a gun barrel. ❋ Peter Godwin (2011)

Eventually the Supt is winkled out-fortunately he knows me and is practical minded-he agrees with my judgement and the whole thing goes to CPS who say-reasonable chastisement. ❋ Inspector Gadget (2008)

He looked like a brilliant scientist winkled out of his lab in order to accept a Nobel prize. ❋ Simon Hoggart (2010)

She would just giggle, putting a winkled hand over her pocked face. ❋ Unknown (2007)

They think that they finally have men nailed: that, after 50,000 years, the superior female mind has winkled out every foible and fantasy lurking in the murky recesses of what passes for the male brain. ❋ Maxine (2007)

Over the last eight years we have been bull winkled to believe lies over obvious ‘proof’ of the failed policies of the Republican Party. ❋ Unknown (2008)

As some of you have winkled, it is indeed my birthday today, and I claim thirty-seven years on this fête day although I do NOT countenance the torching of blue silk dresses today or any day, under the influence of absinthe or not. ❋ Unknown (2008)

Of course it was to do with a bird'she had found that out eventually, had winkled the information out of that girl in the restaurant. ❋ Smith, Alexander McCall (2006)

The letters are genuinely funny, and the clueless bureaucratese in the responses is often equally good, but best of all are the responses from corporate letter-answerers who have winkled out his game and are playing along with their own sly humor: ❋ Unknown (2003)

A Computerworld story discusses the ease with which sensitive information can be winkled out of companies. ❋ Jim Horning (2005)

No writer has been as funny on the subject of withdrawal—or as adept at watermarking the plush interior of consciousness from which we are winkled only under extreme duress. ❋ Unknown (2004)

Gradually, however, under the intense scrutiny of commentators, Mundy the closet terrorist was winkled out of his shell. ❋ Le Carre, John, 1931- (2003)

As £1,550 represented more than most could earn in a lifetime, Bristol turned detective and soon winkled out a likely suspect—though, of course, nobody got the reward. ❋ Colleen McCullough (2000)

In front of him a uniformed inspector was shouting into his personal radio, demanding that reinforcements be winkled out of the police canteen at Charing Cross, while nearby a Sky TV news crew had arrived just in time to witness a cyclist moaning in the gutter after being knocked from her bike by a confused motorist. ❋ Dobbs, Michael, 1948- (2000)

M-bius strips of snow turned inward upon themselves and vanished, while shafts of snow winkled their white way through the centers of snowflake toroids. ❋ Foster, Alan Dean, 1946- (1999)