as in scowled
to distort one's face
playgoers grimaced at the actor's terrible attempt at a French accent
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of grimaced
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
Edgecombe was fouled by San Antonio's Carter Bryant on a 3-point attempt on Tuesday night and grimaced as he was helped up by his teammates.
—CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Williams knocked knees late in the fourth quarter against Houston and immediately grimaced, but didn’t show any effects after posting 20 points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 21 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
Nix grimaced and walked off the field.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2026
Stokes grimaced, bit his collar and headed straight for the dressing room, unable to complete his over.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Mayfield had his left shoulder first checked in the second quarter after taking a hard hit on a scramble, and grimaced later in the drive after throwing a touchdown pass to Tez Johnson.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 24 Nov. 2025
For a team picture as a kid, Curtis grimaced and put his shoulder pads over a broken collarbone.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Edgecombe was fouled by San Antonio's Carter Bryant on a 3-point attempt on Tuesday night and grimaced as he was helped up by his teammates.
—CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Williams knocked knees late in the fourth quarter against Houston and immediately grimaced, but didn’t show any effects after posting 20 points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 21 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
Nix grimaced and walked off the field.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2026
Stokes grimaced, bit his collar and headed straight for the dressing room, unable to complete his over.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Mayfield had his left shoulder first checked in the second quarter after taking a hard hit on a scramble, and grimaced later in the drive after throwing a touchdown pass to Tez Johnson.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 24 Nov. 2025
For a team picture as a kid, Curtis grimaced and put his shoulder pads over a broken collarbone.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grimaced
Verb
-
Those that attended mostly sat and scowled.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Another line of attack likens the show to when bachelorette parties invade gay bars — a practice frequently scowled upon by gay patrons.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Often vital when visiting Disneyland, smartphones are largely permitted, but even they are frowned upon on many attractions.—
Carly Caramanna,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, loud prints and bright colors are frowned upon — something tournament organizers addressed with Jason Day in 2024.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nearly 20 people in their 30s stared at their cellphones for a few minutes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Immigration officers wearing bulky green vests sat inside the vehicle and stared at Elmer and the Hispanic men standing with him.—
Wendi C. Thomas,
ProPublica,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When told that Hyland modeled his game after the famed streetballer Hot Sauce from the And-1 Mixtape Tour, Finch smirked.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
With this, Friedmann smirked at Hall and gave a quick wave of the hand.—
James Verini,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The universities have sneered at the people who are feeding them.—
Richard K. Vedder,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As Soler began walking toward the mound, López held up his hands as the two glared at each other before both started throwing punches.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
As Soler began walking toward the mound, López held up his hands and the two glared at each other before both started throwing punches.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grimaced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grimaced. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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