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
Vanessa Romo, NPR, 14 Jan. 2026
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
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
She's got a scowl on her face as Marfisee and her students approach.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 14 Jan. 2026
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
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
-
In addition to ignoring glaring inconsistencies in the sole eyewitness account, Kuby said prosecutors illegally hid from the defense benefits provided to the girl’s mom and buried evidence identifying the true killer provided by informants, who came forward years after the trial.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Zuccarello's absence has been glaring.—
Ren Clayton,
CBS News,
27 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
-
Ramzan looked to her, pleading, but Sakeena’s eyes only stared into their reflection on the glass patio door.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
-
Inning after inning, the staring contest continued.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Hartford Courant,
3 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 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
