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
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
She's got a scowl on her face as Marfisee and her students approach.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 14 Jan. 2026
Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Noun
His fierce disposition in competition — the scowl, the pumping of fists and the guttural yells after big plays — came in stark contrast to his off-court good nature and broad grins.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
She's got a scowl on her face as Marfisee and her students approach.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
Grejo sank scowling back into his chair as though stung by Adi’s answer.
—Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scowl
Noun
-
The Spaniard left hurriedly, carrying a frown that owed to a sense of injustice.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Rick Bayless, the James Beard Award-winning chef whose family foundation made the gift, said the project fills a glaring gap in Chicago’s cultural landscape.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Austin Reaves, a glaring missing piece in the series opener, bounced back with a playoff career-high 31 points, but that wasn’t nearly enough for the Lakers to overcome their 21 turnovers in a 125-107 defeat.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
8 May 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
-
In the fourth quarter with the game on the line, Blair called a loose-ball foul on the Cavs and Atkinson hated the call, but rather than scream or dart toward the official, Atkinson just sort of stood near his bench, staring at Blair and shaking his head.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Some sit pensively, staring into the distance—one resembles Rodin's The Thinker, his chin gently resting on his hand.—
Mary Holland,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
An elderly man offered a smirk for his mugshot after being arrested in a caught-on-camera hit-and-run involving a cyclist group.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
The prospect of doing it again with even larger stakes brought an excited smirk to Smart’s face.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scowl. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
