scowl 1 of 2

noun

Definition of scowlnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scowl

2 of 2

verb

ˈskau̇(-ə)l How to pronounce scowl (audio)
as in to glare
to look with anger or disapproval scowled down at the misbehaving child

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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
Noun
Leaving home without a hat, scarf, gloves, umbrella, and/or scowl. — Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026 May wears a smile more often than not, while Underwood is more associated with a perpetual scowl. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
Leaving home without a hat, scarf, gloves, umbrella, and/or scowl. — Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026 My sister was scowling and pacing the path outside my mother’s flat. — Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scowl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scowl
  1. frown
  2. glare
  3. grimace
  4. stare
  5. smirk
Noun
  • Numbers might be up, but frowns are also up.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 16 June 2026
  • Turning a smile into a frown, or a frown into a smile.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 June 2026
Definition of frown
Verb
  • Best Skincare Deals While the temperatures are balmy and the sun is glaring, skincare becomes that much more important.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • The glaring issue in England’s group stage performance stems from the drop-off in goal production from the opener to the final two matches.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026
Definition of glare
Noun
  • He was immortalized in a perpetual full-body muscle flex, and bore the grimace of a guy who really, really wants to pick a fight.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 June 2026
  • And Ahmed, with his fearful eyes and tense grimace, makes for a compellingly sad and isolated figure.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of grimace
Verb
  • His suns stare curiously from one side of a page spread to another and his stacks of hay worriedly study the horizon, while his one-eyed stools and one-eyed fenceposts pop up like eager cyclopses.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
  • No foul was assessed in real time, and the red card was awarded only after the official stared at a slow-motion replay.
    — Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of stare
Noun
  • Robinson appeared to furrow his brow and smirk as the text messages about the engravings were displayed in the courtroom.
    — Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • The self-aware smirk and carefree bounce of the record is a bit of a surprise, though.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Definition of smirk

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Cite this Entry

“Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scowl. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of scowl for Spanish Speakers

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