as in grimace
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval
the man across the street never seems to wear anything but a scowl
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scowl
John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025
Rossini has replaced disdain with dedication and swapped out scowls for smiles.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
Caroline Framke, Vulture, 22 May 2025
Editors’ Picks Fired Federal Worker Flirts on Finch Mr. Trump scowled when one of Mr. Ramaphosa’s aides, a Black woman, tried to explain that brutal crimes in general are a problem in South Africa.
—Zolan Kanno-Youngs, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Noun
The most unforgettable image for me was Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, who looked on intently as the bishop spoke, ignoring her husband’s angry scowl.
—John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025
Rossini has replaced disdain with dedication and swapped out scowls for smiles.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
Verb
Smash-cut to: a scowling woman leaving a police station in a black minidress and the telltale thick eyeliner smudge of A Woman Who Doesn’t Have Her Life Together.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 22 May 2025
Editors’ Picks Fired Federal Worker Flirts on Finch Mr. Trump scowled when one of Mr. Ramaphosa’s aides, a Black woman, tried to explain that brutal crimes in general are a problem in South Africa.
—Zolan Kanno-Youngs, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scowl
Noun
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But he would be called things, and strangers would sometimes eavesdrop on our conversations and grimace.—
Tina Knowles,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2025
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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
Verb
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Others had previously sounded the alarm on glaring red flags in the economy.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
4 Aug. 2025
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Since taking the top job at the $1.3 trillion AUM institution in 2021, Duckett has advocated for retirement education and planning services to address the glaring gap in savings.—
Maggie McGrath,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
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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
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Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Read More: Ex-Rival Speaks Highly of Philadelphia Eagles Initial reports suggested the star safety was staring at a missed first season in Houston.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Aug. 2025
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Everyone stared at their phones, following the live score in either acceptance or denial.—
Kylie Volavongsa,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scowl. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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