grinned; grinning
: to draw back the lips so as to show the teeth especially in amusement or laughter
grinner
noun
plural grins
: a facial expression produced by grinning especially in pleasure or amusement
a happy grin
She grew into a nimble young girl of seven winters, a thoughtful girl with shining brown eyes and a wide grin …—
Louise Erdrich
Louise ErdrichI wanted to wipe the grin off his face [=make him stop smiling.]
Examples of grin in a Sentence
Verb
She continued to tease her brother, grinning wickedly.
grinned at the kids' fooling around in the pool
Recent Examples on the Web
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
Processions of awestruck people from all over the world—selfie-taking women in saris, chatty Mexican children, grinning Hare Krishna—marched along a paved path, heads craned upward toward the water.
—Alice Gregory, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
Julia R. Cartwright, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2026
Singleton said while flashing his familiar grin.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grin
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Verb
The effervescent 35-year-old grinned from first note to last, triumphantly raising her arms above her head as the song ended.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
Processions of awestruck people from all over the world—selfie-taking women in saris, chatty Mexican children, grinning Hare Krishna—marched along a paved path, heads craned upward toward the water.
—Alice Gregory, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
Yet, as skiers and skaters flash wide grins for the world, the gesture carries a meaning far older than the Olympic movement itself.
—Julia R. Cartwright, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2026
Singleton said while flashing his familiar grin.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grin
Cite this Entry
“Grin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grin. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
grin
verb
grinned; grinning
: to draw back the lips so as to show the teeth especially in laughter
grin
noun
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