grimace 1 of 2

verb

Definition of grimacenext
as in to scowl
to distort one's face playgoers grimaced at the actor's terrible attempt at a French accent

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

grimace

2 of 2

noun

ˈgri-məs How to pronounce grimace (audio)
as in scowl
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval he made a grimace when he tasted the medicine

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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 grimace
Verb
Clark immediately started limping and grimaced as she was subbed out. — James Boyd, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026 Garner started the video with a clip of her drinking leftovers from the drink container and seemingly getting a brain freeze, holding her hand to her forehead and grimacing. — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
Noun
He was immortalized in a perpetual full-body muscle flex, and bore the grimace of a guy who really, really wants to pick a fight. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026 And Ahmed, with his fearful eyes and tense grimace, makes for a compellingly sad and isolated figure. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grimace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grimace
  1. scowl
  2. frown
  3. stare
  4. smirk
  5. sneer
  6. mouth
Verb
  • However, the youngster scowled at the suggestion that Argentina might face a trophy-less era following Messi's retirement.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Nobody slouches in a great suit like West, and nobody scowls in a gorgeous coat like Miller.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of scowl
Noun
  • The late-night host teasingly drew his face into a frown in order to copy Washington’s facial expression.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Lee indulges that emotional ambiguity, the way the pedal steel can blur the distinction between a frown and a smile.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
Definition of frown
Verb
  • Walking into a room to do some task or other, they’ll get stuck obsessively staring at the door hinges.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
  • One man, summing up the shock, anger and frustration for everyone, stared straight ahead and at one in particular, gathering up whatever air was left in his lungs and yelled one more f-bomb for good measure.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of stare
Noun
  • Shawn Still explains the smirk in his Fulton County booking photo.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Arnold met her gaze almost instantly across UConn’s five-foot table swarmed with cameras and microphones and returned the smirk.
    — Jake McCreven, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of smirk
Verb
  • Five times in the last two months, the president has sneered at and insulted female reporters.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The reader is not asked to sneer at Ruby for wanting Ellen’s attention.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of sneer
Verb
  • Trump has been willing to mouth these words.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
  • To sterilize empty jars, set them mouth up on the rack in a boiling-water canner.
    — Kelly Brant, Arkansas Online, 12 May 2026
Definition of mouth

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Cite this Entry

“Grimace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grimace. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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