as in to scowl
to distort one's face
playgoers grimaced at the actor's terrible attempt at a French accent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of grimace
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
The fifth-year senior also was seen grimacing in pain during the game.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Texas basketball coach Sean Miller glanced over the stat sheet after Saturday’s 74-70 home loss to rival Texas A&M with a grimace before stating the obvious.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grimace
Verb
Towns was downgraded to questionable Friday morning, shot around ahead of tipoff against Chicago, then grimaced and grabbed at his arm before leaving the floor and being ruled out for the night with a right elbow impingement.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
The fifth-year senior also was seen grimacing in pain during the game.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
After Malinin botched his final free in the singles competition, Cowan kept his distance as the skater crumbled into a grimace of abject disappointment.
—Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Texas basketball coach Sean Miller glanced over the stat sheet after Saturday’s 74-70 home loss to rival Texas A&M with a grimace before stating the obvious.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grimace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grimace
Verb
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Leaving home without a hat, scarf, gloves, umbrella, and/or scowl.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
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My sister was scowling and pacing the path outside my mother’s flat.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Greg’s smile, contrasted with the frowns and thumbs-down from the rest of the crew, makes for an entertaining visual.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
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Carpenter responded with a quizzical frown.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For a few seconds, everyone at Progressive Field — players, umpires, fans, cotton candy vendors — stared at the video board, awaiting the handy diagram that would determine whether the Cleveland Guardians’ lead was in jeopardy.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The couple sat in a vestibule inside the Aurora immigration detention facility on a Saturday in March, staring at each other through the glass barrier separating the incarcerated from the free.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For her part, the first lady nearly managed a smirk.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Apr. 2026
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In those heady decades of postmodern language-play and seductive irresolution, claims for literature as a force for truth and justice would likely be dismissed, with a smirk, as humanist pieties.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But there’s also a kind of sneering conventional wisdom toward Vance that doesn’t seem to have much basis in political reality.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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Texas and Florida were COVID-19 wildfires, where the rates of infection soared due to the irresponsible actions of their respective governors who allowed businesses to remain open, all but sneered at immunization and encouraged people to gather maskless at public venues.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Both governments still mouth the old slogans, by rote.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Grimace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grimace. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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