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Definitions

on the blink

ADJECTIVE
not working continuously
Synonyms
WEAK
bonkers broken busted defective disabled down fallen apart faulty gone to pieces haywire in disrepair in need of repair in the shop inoperable kaput kerflooey not functioning not working on the fritz on the shelf out out of commission out of kilter out of order out of whack run down shot spent wrecked

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Phone batteries ran down, TVs were on the blink and for many Spaniards their only lifeline to the outside world was from a car or battery-operated radio, as radio stations soldiered on through the blackout.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2025

But my phone – an early iPhone – had gone on the blink, and someone gave me a tip: a repair genius near the south-west corner of Nehru Place.

From The Guardian • Feb. 15, 2018

The city opened a handful of self-cleaning toilet kiosks, but they were often on the blink.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2017

Since 2014 — when the monument reopened after damage from a 2011 earthquake was repaired — one of the most important elevators in Washington has been on the blink 24 times.

From Washington Post • Aug. 19, 2016

She does yoga and hums like a heater on the blink.

From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake