as in frowning
to distort one's face
playgoers grimaced at the actor's terrible attempt at a French accent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grimacing
The fifth-year senior also was seen grimacing in pain during the game.
—
Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Mark scored 29 for the Longhorns, grimacing and clearly in pain limping on his injured leg through the closing minutes when the sixth-year senior’s team needed him most.
—Janie McCauley, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Mark scored 29 for the Longhorns, grimacing and clearly in pain, limping on his injured leg through the closing minutes when the sixth-year senior's team needed him most.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Mark scored 29 for the Longhorns, grimacing and clearly in pain limping on his injured leg through the closing minutes when the sixth-year senior’s team needed him most.
—Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026
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
Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Mark scored 29 for the Longhorns, grimacing and clearly in pain limping on his injured leg through the closing minutes when the sixth-year senior’s team needed him most.
—Janie McCauley, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Mark scored 29 for the Longhorns, grimacing and clearly in pain, limping on his injured leg through the closing minutes when the sixth-year senior's team needed him most.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Mark scored 29 for the Longhorns, grimacing and clearly in pain limping on his injured leg through the closing minutes when the sixth-year senior’s team needed him most.
—Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grimacing
Verb
-
Woods, 50, is seen frowning in the photo, taken shortly after the legendary golfer was booked into jail on March 27 after his Land Rover rolled over in Jupiter Island, Florida.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Hubbard posted an image of herself with a disgusted look on her face from earlier in Season 10, while Dillard shared a photo of himself frowning, also from a scene in the show.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
My sister was scowling and pacing the path outside my mother’s flat.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Made in response to a difficult breakup, the work alludes to two lovers parting ways, but also to Pau’s memories of isolation as a severely asthmatic child in a notoriously polluted city, lying in bed staring at the wall and inventing stories to distract herself from the difficulty of breathing.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Suddenly, the Royals were staring at a 5-2 deficit.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
He was seen smirking in the courtroom, at times laughing, as prosecutors laid out their case for him to be detained.—
Sabrina Franza,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Something of a Hurley whisperer, who is there to translate what the coach wants – minus the additional adjectives – for his teammates, usually sitting and smirking while Hurley riffs on the grievance of the day.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Grimacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grimacing. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
