as in frown
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval
the man across the street never seems to wear anything but a scowl
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 scowl
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Laura Dern’s scowl is one of the great wonders of American movies.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Keith O’Brien, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
Part of me believes that, if Indiana wins, Cignetti should retire after this season and spend the rest of his life on a beach, scowling at resort attendants and being basically unimpeachable forever.
—Will Leitch, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Noun
One of the series’ most creative elements is the variety of scowls Graham deploys while arguing with Hezekiah, Mary, or his younger brother, Treacle (James Nelson-Joyce), a pragmatic family man who represents everything Sugar’s life could have been if he weren’t filled with so much self-loathing.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Laura Dern’s scowl is one of the great wonders of American movies.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
And Cignetti has coached this team up, scowling from the sidelines, all the way to the championship game.
—Keith O’Brien, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
Part of me believes that, if Indiana wins, Cignetti should retire after this season and spend the rest of his life on a beach, scowling at resort attendants and being basically unimpeachable forever.
—Will Leitch, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scowl
Noun
-
Greg’s smile, contrasted with the frowns and thumbs-down from the rest of the crew, makes for an entertaining visual.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Carpenter responded with a quizzical frown.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Eventually, people could not resist returning to their lives, to routines more comfortable than standing in the streets with the sun glaring in your eyes, squinting up to check the position of snipers on a roof, or working with cramping fingers sewing your tenth mask of the night.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
There are glaring gaps that have to be plugged.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And Ahmed, with his fearful eyes and tense grimace, makes for a compellingly sad and isolated figure.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Charlie Lindgren’s grimace was evident behind his mask.—
Bailey Johnson,
Washington Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Two pairs of staring eyes, in intimate contact.—
John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Since the discovery of the bacterial flagellar motor in the 1970s, biologists and creationists alike have marveled at its design like medieval architects staring with awe at the dome of the Pantheon built by their Roman ancestors.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With a smirk on his face, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman interrupted the question.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scowl. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
