as in to scowl
to distort one's face
playgoers grimaced at the actor's terrible attempt at a French accent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scowl
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval
he made a grimace when he tasted the medicine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Castle grimaced in pain for about a minute after the Rockets' Josh Okogie inadvertently banged into the 2024 Rookie of the Year's already sore left thumb midway through the third quarter of the 111-106 loss at Houston.
—Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Jan. 2026
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Thomas turned around and squeezed DeChambeau’s leg with anxiety, his face in a nervous grimace.
—Brody Miller, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grimace
Verb
Doncic went up and down the court several times, grimacing in pain.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Castle grimaced in pain for about a minute after the Rockets' Josh Okogie inadvertently banged into the 2024 Rookie of the Year's already sore left thumb midway through the third quarter of the 111-106 loss at Houston.
—Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
Will, in response, contorts his entire face into a terrible grimace.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Thomas turned around and squeezed DeChambeau’s leg with anxiety, his face in a nervous grimace.
—Brody Miller, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grimace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grimace
Verb
-
Then there was that image circulating in the bowels of the internet that showed a man who looked exactly like JD scowling at an unidentifiable brunette woman in a restaurant.—
Elise Taylor,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Grejo sank scowling back into his chair as though stung by Adi’s answer.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Not a quiver in his lips, yet his frown growing.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
3 Dec. 2025
-
My best friend Russell is an acupuncturist, and seemed like the perfect person to place my tape, slapping it on my frown lines, crow’s-feet, and nasolabial folds.—
Lena Dunham,
Vogue,
19 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Both squadrons stare each other down on horseback, in full armor and weaponry — looking like bonafide badasses of the Game of Thrones universe.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Jordan Stolz, sitting opposite of the finish line staring at a large video board, looked at his coach and nodded.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And Nix, often with a smirk, will return the volley.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The bus drivers do nothing to enforce the rules, and we seniors are left trudging down the bus aisle while the people in the seats smirk, look at their phones and talk to each other.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Impossibly cool at 60 years old, Reznor is all swagger, with his soaring, sneering vocals sounding as strong as his first decade recording.—
William Earl,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The universities have sneered at the people who are feeding them.—
Richard K. Vedder,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Or to sometimes instinctively mouth the words to Christmas carols the kids sang to him with tears or confusion in their eyes.—
Scott Maxwell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The opposition’s mainstream leaders still mouth the catechism that change should come by Venezuelan hands, but more are openly courting external pressure to tilt the balance.—
Robert Muggah,
The Conversation,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grimace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grimace. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
