frowns 1 of 2

plural of frown
as in scowls
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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frowns

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of frown
as in glares
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 frowns
Noun
Numbers might be up, but frowns are also up. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 16 June 2026 No smiles, no frowns, no fluctuations of body warmth. — Literary Hub, 8 June 2026 Those surrounding the bride stood up and began clapping, their frowns shifting to wide smiles. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025 If only humans kept their expressions to cartoonishly clear frowns and smiles. — Matt Fuchs, Time, 4 Nov. 2025 How to Watch North Carolina at Syracuse Bill Belichick’s first season as North Carolina head coach is winding to a whimpering close, but an ACC win over Syracuse under the Friday Night Lights would sure turn some frowns upside down at Chapel Hill. — Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025 There's room for laughs amid the tears and smiles amid the frowns. — David Oliver, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025 Over the course of an hour, a virtuosic guitarist, a singer, and three dancers performed a program of mournful music and percussive dance, their faces set in serious frowns—an integral part of the performance. — Fiona Mozley, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2025 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
Verb
Don’t Kill Reach with External Links Like any business that makes money from advertising, LinkedIn frowns upon directing people away from LinkedIn to another site. — William Arruda, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 Here is our review of a 2025-26 campaign that’s ended with more smiles than frowns. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 26 May 2026 Haven frowns upon the data fueling prohibition. — Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 8 May 2026 Seward tries on one of his safari jackets, based on a 1948 British army uniform, but Stéphane frowns at the fit. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026 Historically, Wall Street frowns on gift-giving between clients and bankers or Wall Street lawyers, particularly high-end gifts that could pose a conflict of interest. — Ken Sweet, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026 Ken’yaku, a commitment to frugality, is detectable in a corporate culture that frowns on perks or frills. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frowns
Noun
  • One of the series’ most creative elements is the variety of scowls Graham deploys while arguing with Hezekiah, Mary, or his younger brother, Treacle (James Nelson-Joyce), a pragmatic family man who represents everything Sugar’s life could have been if he weren’t filled with so much self-loathing.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • My eleven-year-old self rolls her eyes, glares at my thirty-six-year-old body, and silently calls me fat.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Tommy is already a natural punk with his grimaces, British vocal inflections and wide-eyed expressions behind the drum kit.
    — Jane Tyska, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Back at the team bus, the high fives and handshakes wore grimaces.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Verb
  • Lux is drawn back to the old pictures and voice notes on his phone, while Mille stares at the WhatsApp chat with her sister as if waiting for a response.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
  • When Molly holds out her empty hand, Yvette stares at it, then shoves her dustpan under one arm, laces her fingers through Molly’s.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Frowns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frowns. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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