as in to frown
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
Leah Dolan, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
Muscles bulging and soaked in sweat, his face is etched in a grimace of extreme exertion.
—Sarah Shephard, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Forgetting this city was about 60% Yuppy Town, three distressed grimaces and one sly smile appeared.
—Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 1 Jan. 2025
There’s a fine line between a grin and a grimace.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for grimace
Noun
Where there was once a wistful Mona Lisa-style facial expression — lips parted enough to suggest a smile or a grimace, depending on perspective — now there is no room for interpretation.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
Muscles bulging and soaked in sweat, his face is etched in a grimace of extreme exertion.
—Sarah Shephard, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Forgetting this city was about 60% Yuppy Town, three distressed grimaces and one sly smile appeared.
—Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 1 Jan. 2025
There’s a fine line between a grin and a grimace.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for grimace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grimace
Verb
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His punitive overreaction to a student caught shoplifting in a college cafeteria is frowned upon, particularly because Ed is no longer the campus security chief.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2025
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Traditionally, these two types of travel have been kept entirely separate, and it has been frowned upon to mix one with the other.—
Egor Karpovich,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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That whoop-ass machine is played with a fierce scowl by MMA fighter Michelle Waterson.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2025
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In body and scowl, Paquita radiated like the Disney villain Ursula — a character also inspired by a drag queen, famed actor and performer Divine — but in spirit and heart was far from the sea-dwelling witch who stole an innocent mermaid’s voice.—
Alex Zaragoza,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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For the next two months (at the very least), Skinner’s life will be that of honest maths and likely more abysses to stare into.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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Among other things, Biden appeared to repeatedly lose his train of thought, made halting statements and stared blankly into the audience.—
Sonam Sheth,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
Noun
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Next up could be the Hyatt Regency at the Brickell bridge along the mouth of the Miami River.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
16 May 2025
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The single artwork follows the theme of the track, which sees Kesha being choked by someone who holds a cigarette to her mouth, while another arm holds up a silver telephone to her ear.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
16 May 2025
Verb
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While another top 10 smash on the most competitive songs list in America is certainly nothing to sneer at, some may have expected the collaboration to launch even higher, given the significant excitement surrounding its release.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
5 May 2025
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So the effort by some Democrats to reinvigorate their party’s economic agenda with a populism that identifies Trump and Republicans in Congress with corporate America and wealthy titans of industry isn’t necessarily something to sneer at, some Republicans tell me.—
David M. Drucker,
Boston Herald,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In group settings, Edelman was good for a clip on the local news, making a wry joke about his own passing abilities, the opposing team or Brady with a smirk on his face.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
6 May 2025
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Everyone has always wondered what that smirk was all about from day one.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grimace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grimace. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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