moue

as in grimace
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval a moue of distaste at the display of bad manners

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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 moue In her trademark cat-eye glasses, with her bitter-lemon moue, Hoffman, as Moth, is comedy just standing there; Harada, as Mustardseed, a warmth machine. New York Times, 24 Oct. 2021 Not just any moue, either, but a supermoue—a whole cultural attitude distilled into a single boffff. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moue
Noun
  • In an alarming sight for an already-banged-up inside linebacker room, Greenlaw pulled up with a grimace after covering J.K. Dobbins on an LB-RB one-on-one pass-coverage drill.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 31 July 2025
  • In one image, Scales, who had won a Military Cross for his bravery at the front, wears a crooked grimace that suggests recent anguish.
    Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • Klára tries to keep him away but Berend, a sweaty, sour beast of a man who wears a permanent scowl, insistently shoves his way into the household.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Serve up in a stemmed glass, and garnish with a scowl, or perhaps a war story.
    Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Luckily, life is going to improve in nearly every way going forward, so proceed with a smile rather than a frown.
    Kyle Thomas, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025
  • The aim was to encode the various nuanced ways human faces transmit states of mind, and then to visualize them; smiles and frowns are the barest beginning.
    Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • One of the two animals ended up with part of Hohl's head inside its mouth, with its jaws clamped around his cheek and skull, while the other clamped onto his left ankle.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The balanced fruitiness and mild acidity cut through the richness, while a creamy, buttery mouthfeel provides richness and a mouth-coating texture.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • While Shrek pouts about missing his solo ogre days, the dastardly Rumpelstiltskin takes advantage, offering him a contract to relive that romanticized time in his life — for a day.
    Skyler Trepel September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Performance-wise, Jude Law is a surprisingly effective Putin, getting the President’s pout to perfection, and giving him a slightly abrasive Estuary English accent.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Moue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moue. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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