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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Recent Examples of scowl
Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
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
Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
He was picked up first on meth charges on May 14, 1986, according to news reports and a San Francisco police booking photo, which shows him in a blue hoodie scowling into the camera.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Noun
Despite having her arms almost permanently crossed and a scowl on her face, Ivy eventually starts to warm up, especially to her cheerful, horny-as-a-chihuahua cabin-mate Ella (Ruby Stokes, recently seen in Bridgerton and The Burning Girls).
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
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
Verb
Those that attended mostly sat and scowled.
—Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
He was picked up first on meth charges on May 14, 1986, according to news reports and a San Francisco police booking photo, which shows him in a blue hoodie scowling into the camera.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scowl
Noun
-
No smiles, no frowns, no fluctuations of body warmth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
The Spaniard left hurriedly, carrying a frown that owed to a sense of injustice.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The benefits are glaring, and no one wants to get the calls that the Herbert, Lutzenkirchen and Bebiak families — and so many others — have gotten.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
7 June 2026
-
There are some glaring gaps in the squad following the departures of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate as free agents.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
2 June 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
-
The two appear to stare at one another for a period of time before the train arrives, according to surveillance video and comments made by MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
After a perfect drive on 18, Korda took the walk that so many champions have taken, strolling up Riviera’s famed 18th fairway, staring at the overflow crowd sitting around the green that was waiting to cheer her victory.—
Bob Buttitta,
Daily News,
8 June 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 11 Jun. 2026.
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