# squint like a bag of nails

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/squint-like-a-bag-of-nails
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To squint very much, as though one's eyes were directed as many ways as the points of a bag of nails.

## Examples

- He squints like a bag of nails in the bright sun.
- Without his glasses, he squints like a bag of nails while trying to read the small menu.
- The elderly man, struggling against the harsh glare of the afternoon light, squinted like a bag of nails as he attempted to decipher the faded inscription on the stone.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.