Crinkly describes something with many small wrinkles, folds, or creases that make a soft crackling sound or have an uneven, textured surface. When you crumple up a piece of paper and then smooth it back out, it becomes crinkly. The thin paper inside a fortune cookie has a crinkly texture. Autumn leaves that have dried out feel crinkly when you pick them up.

The word often describes things that make a pleasant rustling or crinkling sound when touched. A crinkly candy wrapper makes noise as you open it. Some fabrics, like taffeta or certain types of tissue paper, naturally have a crinkly quality.

Crinkly can also describe facial features, especially around the eyes. When someone smiles big, the skin at the corners of their eyes might get crinkly with little laugh lines. As people age, their skin can become more crinkly, showing the years of smiling, squinting in the sun, and expressing emotions.