Twinkle

v.joyful, energeticwarm

Meaning 1

To shine with small, changing flashes of light.

Reach for it when describing a gentle, intermittent sparkle

Lanterns twinkle along the path after the sun sets.

everyday
flicker
when unstable light turns on and off
not when Flicker can signal failure and lacks twinkle's pleasant quality.
warm
sparkle
when bright, lively points of light are more continuous
not when Sparkle is stronger and steadier than a small intermittent twinkle.
literary
glimmer
when faint light is barely visible
not when Glimmer is weaker and may not change rapidly.
literary
shimmer
when light wavers across a surface
not when Shimmer is broad and flowing rather than pointlike.

To show lively warmth, humor, or delight in the eyes.

Reach for it when describing a subtle visible expression of happy mischief

Her eyes twinkle when she tells the story of the improvised rescue.

everyday
light up
when delight transforms the whole expression
not when Light up is broader and more visible than twinkle.
warm
beam
when happiness is obvious across the face
not when Beam is much more open and intense than an eye's subtle twinkle.
literary
gleam
when a brief bright expression appears
not when Gleam can suggest calculation or menace.

eyes twinkle
His eyes twinkle whenever the children discover the hidden mechanism.
stars twinkle
Stars twinkle more clearly after the streetlights dim.
twinkle with delight
Her eyes twinkle with delight when the first seedlings appear.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.