# crinkle

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈkɹɪŋkəl/ · frequency rank #65,024

## Definitions
1. To fold, crease, crumple, or wad.
2. To rustle, as stiff cloth when moved.

## Etymology
From Middle English crenclen (“to bend, buckle”), from Old English *crinclian, frequentative form of Old English crincan (“to yield”), from Proto-Germanic *kringaną (“to turn, to fall, to yield”), from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with North Frisian krenge, krönge (“to obtain, reach, attain”), Dutch krinkelen (“to turn, wind”). Related to cringe.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/crinkle