1
as in to grin
to express an emotion (as amusement) by curving the lips upward
the soldier smiled in pleasure when he saw the giant sign welcoming him home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to laugh
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
smiled at their ridiculous antics and walked away in disgust
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of smile
Charlotte Brooks, Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
Tatum then isolated against the Spurs big man, fooled him with an up-fake, finished at the rim and smiled after being shoved to the ground.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Dolly Parton made her first major in-person appearance on Friday, sporting her signature blonde bouffant and a big smile on her face.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smile
Verb
Brushing away tears, Kay tried to smile at her fiancé but could barely meet his eye.
—Charlotte Brooks, Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
Tatum then isolated against the Spurs big man, fooled him with an up-fake, finished at the rim and smiled after being shoved to the ground.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
Boasting a million-dollar smile and an increasingly impressive pile of cycling accolades, Moriah Wilson seemed to be on the verge of a national profile when she was murdered in 2022 in Austin, Texas.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Dolly Parton made her first major in-person appearance on Friday, sporting her signature blonde bouffant and a big smile on her face.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smile
Verb
-
Jesus grins when asked which of the two pushes players harder in training.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The footage also showed a man on the ground in handcuffs who appeared to be grinning, the outlet reported.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The comedy horror sequel starring Samara Weaving as a bride trapped in a murderous game brought blood, blood and more blood to SXSW, where the crowd squealed and laughed at each grisly killing.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Some parents and children laughed, and a pair of parents even high-fived.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Yet Lili Reinhart plays her with a diamond-hard smirk and a gleam of perception that lights up the screen.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Auriemma watched the chaos unfold wearing a bemused smirk.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smile. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
