as in frowning
to distort one's face
playgoers grimaced at the actor's terrible attempt at a French accent
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Recent Examples of grimacing
Ref Bankes initially ignored the wide-eyed protests of several Chelsea players to flash only his yellow card as Garnacho writhed, grimacing on the floor and clutching his left leg.
—
Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Fully aware of how costly the mistake was, Glenn couldn’t hide her disappointment immediately after hitting her final pose, grimacing and trying to hold back her emotions.
—Alice Park, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Jones’s Dragoool suggests a fusion of Oldman, Karloff’s Mummy and the Cryptkeeper, with shades of Klaus Kinski, Willem Dafoe, Heath Ledger and a grimacing carp.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
She could be seen grimacing after making a small error during her performance, landing awkwardly off a spinning double axel.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
Doncic went up and down the court several times, grimacing in pain.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
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
Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Fully aware of how costly the mistake was, Glenn couldn’t hide her disappointment immediately after hitting her final pose, grimacing and trying to hold back her emotions.
—Alice Park, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Jones’s Dragoool suggests a fusion of Oldman, Karloff’s Mummy and the Cryptkeeper, with shades of Klaus Kinski, Willem Dafoe, Heath Ledger and a grimacing carp.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
She could be seen grimacing after making a small error during her performance, landing awkwardly off a spinning double axel.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
Doncic went up and down the court several times, grimacing in pain.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grimacing
Verb
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The men stood frowning at each other and then back at Adi until the one without the gun broke into croaks of laughter.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Smiling can actually lift your mood, while frowning can lower it.—
Valerie Monroe,
Allure,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
He was picked up first on meth charges on May 14, 1986, according to news reports and a San Francisco police booking photo, which shows him in a blue hoodie scowling into the camera.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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Before that incident, he is accused of staring at a woman and child for several minutes.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
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Smartphones onstage can be weird and deadly, but one of the most striking moments in Jeena Yi’s Jesa happens as all the play’s actors are staring into one.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Standing above it all is Elijah Wood as the Council lawyer, who seems to be silently smirking at everything that happens, which is not an inappropriate response.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
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Some American viewers were pulled into it by a boring—and slightly embarrassing—poster of Harrison Ford, smirking in a suit, while a loyal Melanie Griffith clings to his shoulder and Sigourney Weaver, as befits her role of nemesis, gives a wicked smile.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In character as a free spirit who scorns social convention, Davis is all haughty tosses of the head and sneering lines.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
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Chalamet, whose grandmother, mother, and sister all performed with the New York City Ballet, is not sneering at the artists.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grimacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grimacing. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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