as in grimace
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval
it was clear from the frown on the CEO's face that sales were headed in the wrong direction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to glare
to look with anger or disapproval
the boss just stood there and frowned at his assistant who, once again, was in trouble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 frown
Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 2 July 2025
Jamie frowns and starts to twist a little on his barstool, turning to face the ocean — and away from me.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 12 June 2025
Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 20 July 2025
While bringing flowers in a vase will never be frowned upon, showing up sans vase won't be either!
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for frown
Noun
Beantown frowns at each breaking news sounder on talk radio or ESPN insider post on social media.
—Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 2 July 2025
Jamie frowns and starts to twist a little on his barstool, turning to face the ocean — and away from me.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 12 June 2025
Verb
Because of that history, Mrs. Kirkland frowns upon the Scotts, particularly Peggy’s father Arthur (John Douglas Thompson) who was once enslaved.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 20 July 2025
While bringing flowers in a vase will never be frowned upon, showing up sans vase won't be either!
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for frown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frown
Noun
-
But he would be called things, and strangers would sometimes eavesdrop on our conversations and grimace.—
Tina Knowles,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2025
-
In an alarming sight for an already-banged-up inside linebacker room, Greenlaw pulled up with a grimace after covering J.K. Dobbins on an LB-RB one-on-one pass-coverage drill.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
31 July 2025
Verb
-
Others had previously sounded the alarm on glaring red flags in the economy.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Since taking the top job at the $1.3 trillion AUM institution in 2021, Duckett has advocated for retirement education and planning services to address the glaring gap in savings.—
Maggie McGrath,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
Serve up in a stemmed glass, and garnish with a scowl, or perhaps a war story.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
11 July 2025
-
Balthazar, played in a hipster fade and with a puppy-dog scowl by Jaeden Martell, is a New York rich kid with a life coach and a divorced mother (Jennifer Ehle) who’s too busy throwing political cocktail parties to pay him much attention.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
10 June 2025
Verb
-
Read More: Ex-Rival Speaks Highly of Philadelphia Eagles Initial reports suggested the star safety was staring at a missed first season in Houston.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Everyone stared at their phones, following the live score in either acceptance or denial.—
Kylie Volavongsa,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frown. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share