as in smiling
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in laughing
to express an emotion (as amusement) by curving the lips upward
grinned at the kids' fooling around in the pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 grinning
Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
Frowning gives you lines, but grinning can be deadly.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
The kid in front of us was interviewed on the news in Slovenian, holding his Harry Potter, grinning.
—Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
Epstein can be seen grinning during their conversation.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
While the movie shows Will’s Buddy the Elf sprinting into the lockers in surprise, the brothers cut their version just as Magnus turns the corner to discover who’s singing, catching Mattias grinning back at him.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
Molly Darlington/Getty Images Malick Thiaw wheeled away with the grin of a man who was not expecting to be grinning.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
But don’t miss the final beat, when the camera pans left and captures a third character, a woman registering the scene she’s just witnessed before becoming a part of it—her hand on the side of her head, grinning madly.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2025
Minutes before a 10-hour surgical procedure, 8-year-old Olivia Olson sat on a hospital bed grinning.
—David Douglas, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
In December, the foundation posted a Facebook video showing grinning Palestinian children in the van, their backpacks strapped and winter jackets zipped, on their way to school.
—Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
Frowning gives you lines, but grinning can be deadly.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
The kid in front of us was interviewed on the news in Slovenian, holding his Harry Potter, grinning.
—Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
Epstein can be seen grinning during their conversation.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
While the movie shows Will’s Buddy the Elf sprinting into the lockers in surprise, the brothers cut their version just as Magnus turns the corner to discover who’s singing, catching Mattias grinning back at him.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
Molly Darlington/Getty Images Malick Thiaw wheeled away with the grin of a man who was not expecting to be grinning.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
But don’t miss the final beat, when the camera pans left and captures a third character, a woman registering the scene she’s just witnessed before becoming a part of it—her hand on the side of her head, grinning madly.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2025
Minutes before a 10-hour surgical procedure, 8-year-old Olivia Olson sat on a hospital bed grinning.
—David Douglas, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinning
Adjective
-
As Thomas’ parents, Katina Smith and Bobby Thomas, unveiled their son’s smiling statue in the Broncos’ Ring of Fame Plaza last Sunday, as scores of his former teammates looked on in sadness and joy, Miller was 800 miles away in Dallas, gearing up for a game against the Cowboys.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Always ready for fun, Rose enjoys laughing, moving and finding creative ways to express herself.—
The Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
-
In a separate post that day, the CEO added two laughing emoji when quote-tweeting an image of a toaster with a bikini on it.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinning. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share