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Recent Examples of rictus
Its sheer loveliness almost completely undermines the menace of that rictus on the cover.
—
Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026
Unlike Cesar Romero’s Joker from the child-friendly TV Batman, cheery and inane, Jack Nicholson’s version is fully monstrous—sneering and sadistic, his dead eyes obscene next to his rictus grin.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
There’s even the demand for NDAs and a magazine photoshoot at the enormous house, with everyone smiling their rictus grins.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
Oldman’s features gradually freeze into a rictus of despair, and the lights go out.
—Houman Barekat, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
The Mirror and the Light opens with that profoundly disturbing execution, Foy a pale rictus of fear and vulnerability as she is led to the block, where she is blindfolded and positioned before the executioner’s sword.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2025
With their teeth bared in a frozen rictus grin, this couple appears to be hiding a darkness which we are left only to guess at.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
The entire final sequence, which sees Carter, with a rictus grin, slaughtering his wife in the kitchen, envisions the self-destruction of the nuclear family.
—Beatrice Loayza, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026
Unlike Cesar Romero’s Joker from the child-friendly TV Batman, cheery and inane, Jack Nicholson’s version is fully monstrous—sneering and sadistic, his dead eyes obscene next to his rictus grin.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
There’s even the demand for NDAs and a magazine photoshoot at the enormous house, with everyone smiling their rictus grins.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
Oldman’s features gradually freeze into a rictus of despair, and the lights go out.
—Houman Barekat, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
The Mirror and the Light opens with that profoundly disturbing execution, Foy a pale rictus of fear and vulnerability as she is led to the block, where she is blindfolded and positioned before the executioner’s sword.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2025
With their teeth bared in a frozen rictus grin, this couple appears to be hiding a darkness which we are left only to guess at.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
The entire final sequence, which sees Carter, with a rictus grin, slaughtering his wife in the kitchen, envisions the self-destruction of the nuclear family.
—Beatrice Loayza, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rictus
Noun
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With a smirk on his face, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman interrupted the question.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Barcelona, created by a small group of rock-and-roll writers from Buenos Aires, approached news stories from Argentina and around the world with a smirk.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Fertilizer stocks — The persisting snarl in shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz drove trading of chemical and fertilizer stocks Monday.—
Christina Cheddar Berk,Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
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Killing birds, scampering around the crawl space at night, making the local coyotes snarl at Charlie’s SUV… everything Katie does has to be deniable enough for her parents to roll with it, a story choice that defangs Cronin’s ability to let loose.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While some celebrants have greeted these caricatures with cathartic jeers and sneers, others are shocked and outraged.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
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From the sneer of Billy Idol to the smooth sashaying of Sade, the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees amplify the institution’s commitment to recognizing a diverse slate.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Acceleration is also accomplished with a throaty growl.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
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There was no growl, no warning bark.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sandoval, in comparison, sneers and simpers to no success whatsoever; his bad behavior, on and off The Traitors, yields nothing.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2025
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Today’s announcement marks the emergence of a new GE, a high-tech industrial GE — simper, stronger, a more focused company at the core.—
Jon Chesto,
BostonGlobe.com,
26 June 2018
Cite this Entry
“Rictus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rictus. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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