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
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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
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Recent Examples of frown
Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
And it is generally frowned upon to ask other burners for water.
—Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frown
Noun
The aim was to encode the various nuanced ways human faces transmit states of mind, and then to visualize them; smiles and frowns are the barest beginning.
—Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
And it is generally frowned upon to ask other burners for water.
—Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frown
Noun
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Thomas turned around and squeezed DeChambeau’s leg with anxiety, his face in a nervous grimace.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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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
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The Mariners defense worries me, but there’s not an American League team that doesn’t have a glaring flaw.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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Per some glaring social media posts that went viral last week, the distributor seemingly used AI to face swap a male character with the face of a woman.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Children can quickly detect their parent’s stress by the tone in their voice or the expression on their face, such as a furrowed brow or a scowl.—
Juli Fraga,
Time,
23 Sep. 2025
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And then there’s the U.S. Army officer who succeeds in apprehending Perfidia: Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, played in a graying military fade, with some fur on top and a martinet scowl, by Sean Penn.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That video showed the cat staring sadly through a glass pane, showcasing yet again the intensity of her feelings about being separated from her owner.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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The turnaround at Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren was staring irrelevance in the face when Procter & Gamble veteran Patrice Louvet took over as CEO and brought the fashion brand back to its luxury roots.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frown. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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