as in frowning
to distort one's face
playgoers grimaced at the actor's terrible attempt at a French accent
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grimacing
After grimacing, Daniels popped up and headed to the bench, where he was greeted by multiple athletic trainers and the team doctor.
—
Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2025
Nearby, a large man with a wad of cash was grimacing into a digital roulette machine.
—Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Wentz was noticeably grimacing throughout the majority of the game.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
After taking a fastball on the knee in the fifth game of the series, outfield veteran George Springer returned to the starting lineup on Sunday and was noticeably limping and grimacing during his at-bats.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
In the new logo, which the university said was designed in-house, the mascot's grimacing expression is the same, but his fists are down.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025
But while running in from third to score, Abreu began grimacing and was removed from the game the following inning.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2025
Nearby, a large man with a wad of cash was grimacing into a digital roulette machine.
—Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Wentz was noticeably grimacing throughout the majority of the game.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
After taking a fastball on the knee in the fifth game of the series, outfield veteran George Springer returned to the starting lineup on Sunday and was noticeably limping and grimacing during his at-bats.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
In the new logo, which the university said was designed in-house, the mascot's grimacing expression is the same, but his fists are down.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025
But while running in from third to score, Abreu began grimacing and was removed from the game the following inning.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grimacing
Verb
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Smiling can actually lift your mood, while frowning can lower it.—
Valerie Monroe,
Allure,
15 Jan. 2026
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One mask depicts a frowning hobo with a 5 o'clock shadow that represents the aforementioned vagrant.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Their head coach, Curt Cignetti, perpetually scowling beneath his 1950s crew cut, is fuel for countless memes.—
Keith O’Brien,
The Atlantic,
17 Jan. 2026
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Part of me believes that, if Indiana wins, Cignetti should retire after this season and spend the rest of his life on a beach, scowling at resort attendants and being basically unimpeachable forever.—
Will Leitch,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With his team staring at a seven-point halftime deficit and a three-game losing streak in the SEC, Texas basketball coach Sean Miller didn’t mince words about the importance of the second half in Saturday’s 87-67 win Georgia.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Jan. 2026
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Actor Matt Manuel, who is currently staring in the Off-Broadway production of Spelling Bee, weighed in on the topic of theater etiquette.—
Emma Kershaw,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The smirking beagle has haunted me all holiday season.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
13 Dec. 2025
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The smirking Nabokov is tiresome.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Even the epithets for the Kansas City Chiefs are built on divisional rivalry and that team’s long track record of success, not sneering dismissiveness.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
30 Nov. 2025
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Pluribus, despite its own existence as a piece of populist fiction, depicts all the readers of Carol’s Wycaro books from the perspective of her sneering disdain.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
14 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grimacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grimacing. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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