as in to laugh
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
She sneered at me in disgust.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sneer
Jenna Sundel
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Unlike The Beatles, Oasis arrived in the US with trademark sneering entitlement.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2025
His voice—typically pitched between a bellow and a sneer—was instantly recognizable to the couple that night.
—Air Mail, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneer
Verb
More than a dozen were hospitalized, and Gavin Newsom's response was to sneer and condemn those who seek out our creator in our darkest moments.
—Jenna Sundel
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Unlike The Beatles, Oasis arrived in the US with trademark sneering entitlement.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
Yungblud’s voice — a piercing yelp that exists somewhere between Gerard Way’s wail and Brian Molko’s sneer — slotted him in the alt-rock world, but his aspirations seemed to stretch far beyond that categorization.
—Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2025
His voice—typically pitched between a bellow and a sneer—was instantly recognizable to the couple that night.
—Air Mail, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sneer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneer
Verb
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In another image, the Chinese leader appears to grin with his eyes shut, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi laughing by his side.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
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The grandmas who pass down recipes, the sisters who keep us laughing, the besties who show up with love, and the moms who make sure the table is full.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That comment and a smirk from Holly pushed her over the edge.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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As Hedda battles with herself, there’s a rage simmering underneath every smirk and every one of her bleak and destructive actions.—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang,
Refinery29,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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These are uncontroversial jokes that aim to bring people together and get everyone chuckling or smiling along.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Nov. 2025
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At least Crobsy had something to smile about during the game.—
Anne Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Early never makes fun of Maddie, never lets the audience snicker at the screen.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
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The carnage leads to a sigh of an epilogue that seems, without giving anything away, like a curious letdown, a cruel little snicker from Aster that doesn’t entirely satisfy.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
15 July 2025
Noun
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Each time an audience member so much as sniggers or sneezes, money is docked from a prize pot of £250,000 ($330,000), the slightest noise costing them up to £10,000 ($13,000) each time.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
2 May 2025
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This offbeat comedy, which originally ran from 2007-10, thrives on less explicit social tensions: sniggers behind the back and raised eyebrows at the dinner table.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
26 Dec. 2019
Noun
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The jeers continued after the play itself failed miserably.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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As his father read drafts of the Declaration of Independence, William was carted off, to jeers and insults.—
Stacy Schiff,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sneer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneer. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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