cheek

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word cheek different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of cheek are audacity, chutzpah, effrontery, gall, hardihood, nerve, and temerity. While all these words mean "conspicuous or flagrant boldness," nerve, cheek, gall, and chutzpah are informal equivalents for effrontery.

the nerve of that guy
has the cheek to call herself a singer
had the gall to demand proof
the chutzpah needed for a career in show business

When is audacity a more appropriate choice than cheek?

In some situations, the words audacity and cheek are roughly equivalent. However, audacity implies a disregard of restraints commonly imposed by convention or prudence.

an entrepreneur with audacity and vision

When would effrontery be a good substitute for cheek?

The synonyms effrontery and cheek are sometimes interchangeable, but effrontery implies shameless, insolent disregard of propriety or courtesy.

outraged at his effrontery

When can hardihood be used instead of cheek?

While the synonyms hardihood and cheek are close in meaning, hardihood suggests firmness in daring and defiance.

admired for her hardihood

When might temerity be a better fit than cheek?

The words temerity and cheek can be used in similar contexts, but temerity suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger.

had the temerity to refuse

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 cheek At one large, three-day show in Cleveland, Ohio, Kaelin and crew swabbed 100 cats on-site by sticking a cotton swab into their mouths to collect a small bit of DNA from the inside of their cheeks. Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 28 May 2025 In photos from the event, Sánchez sat at a table with Bezos and kissed his cheek. Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 24 May 2025 Likewise, the black trapezoid (cheek) sections found previously below each headlight are now body-coloured on Sport models, and have been replaced entirely with sharp inlets on M Sport models; the headlights are new too. Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 At half-time, Rodrigues puffs his cheeks before quickly returning to the kitchen. Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for cheek
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cheek
Noun
  • Both clubs were founded in the same working-class neighbourhood, known as the mouth of Buenos Aires.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 8 June 2025
  • In response, the longtime reality TV star, 36, drew her hand to her mouth and started to cry.
    Chris Jordan, USA Today, 7 June 2025
Noun
  • But this time around, Alix didn’t even have time to let the nerves kick in.
    Jordana Comiter, People.com, 28 May 2025
  • However, Trump’s tariff pullbacks, pauses and negotiations with some trading partners may have calmed nerves for the time being.
    Matt Ott, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • Spiny lobster tails make their way north from Marathon’s Key’s Fisheries.
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025
  • Flying by the active asteroid could show exactly what processes are creating the dusty tails streaming from the object and might reveal possibilities scientists haven’t even considered, Kareta said.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • The three Māori lawmakers declined to appear before the committee during its investigation, citing disrespect for their cultural traditions.
    Julia Zhong, NBC news, 5 June 2025
  • Kelce saw some disrespect in those rankings, coming in at No. 7 on the list.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • The members of my party have the gall to request several of these demonic items from the livid waiter.
    Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025
  • Lia Thomas stole a medal through deceit, and this rag has the gall to call him a 'champion'?
    Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Packed in between curved wooden beams, translucent honeyed yellow square panels filter the weak sunlight into a more inviting summer afternoon hue.
    Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
  • Let There Be Light – Students explored the properties of light: how a light bulb contains a rainbow of colors, what happens when a beam of laser light is trapped in water, and more.
    Larry D. Urish, Oc Register, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Einstein lives up to her name with sass and smarts, the diva of the bunch.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
  • The Innocents Abroad is written with a new curiosity and sass, unburdened by any lingering sense of inferiority to Europe.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • In the face of rising costs and limited transit options, modern transportation models like peer-to-peer car sharing have become a real lifeline.
    Al Sharpton, New York Daily News, 8 June 2025
  • Her mother found her daughter’s cowardice in the face of strangers a secret disgrace, but Constance also had a father who was happy with her and with their time together, and that likely had been her salvation.
    Jim Shepard, New Yorker, 8 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cheek.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cheek. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.

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