frown 1 of 2

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

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frown

2 of 2

verb

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

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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
Noun
Chris’s kids noticed how his smile melted into a frown. Juli Fraga, Time, 23 Sep. 2025 The two facial expressions are literally inversions of each other — as the song says, a smile is just a frown turned upside down. Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
That wasn’t something that was frowned upon. Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025 Upholstered Furniture Unlike damage furniture, buying secondhand upholstered pieces isn't as frowned upon, but Morse recommends looking over each piece with a careful eye to determine if this item will be a good investment. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for frown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frown
Noun
  • Thomas turned around and squeezed DeChambeau’s leg with anxiety, his face in a nervous grimace.
    Brody Miller, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Per the season's sneak peek, this year's voyage pairs steamy trysts among the crew with some grimace-worthy incidents, from jellyfish sightings and jet ski accidents (and what looks to be a lone charter guest floating out to sea on a raft).
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The first is that the metallic fabric rightfully has a different texture (and potentially consistency) from the black, and that difference is glaring with that wide a stripe; reducing that width by a third or half would have smoothed that out.
    The Athletic NHL Staff, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The proposal stalled, but Republicans saw it as a glaring federal overreach.
    Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • If Simmons’ Demon was Kiss’ scowl, then Frehley’s Spaceman was its cackle.
    Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
  • After a beat, Eilish is seen yanking herself away and storms off, surrounded by security with an angry scowl on her face.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sean Monahan, Voronkov and others came up empty on point-blank opportunities that left them staring into the rafters or yelling at the ice in frustration.
    Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Then, in the 1980s, Anne stared as Veronica Rooney on the hit sitcom Archie Bunker’s Place, a role that added two more Emmy nods to her roster.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Frown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frown. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

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