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
Juli Fraga, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
And then there’s the U.S. Army officer who succeeds in apprehending Perfidia: Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, played in a graying military fade, with some fur on top and a martinet scowl, by Sean Penn.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2025
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Cena has been delivering his signature sharp mic work, routinely dominating verbal exchanges while Paul has been forced to scowl while the master gets in all of his barbs and sons him at every opportunity.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Noun
Children can quickly detect their parent’s stress by the tone in their voice or the expression on their face, such as a furrowed brow or a scowl.
—Juli Fraga, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
And then there’s the U.S. Army officer who succeeds in apprehending Perfidia: Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, played in a graying military fade, with some fur on top and a martinet scowl, by Sean Penn.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
His real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio; his stage name, as fans later learned, was inspired by a childhood photograph that captured him, scowling, in a rabbit costume.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Cena has been delivering his signature sharp mic work, routinely dominating verbal exchanges while Paul has been forced to scowl while the master gets in all of his barbs and sons him at every opportunity.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scowl
Noun
-
If only humans kept their expressions to cartoonishly clear frowns and smiles.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
-
How to Watch North Carolina at Syracuse Bill Belichick’s first season as North Carolina head coach is winding to a whimpering close, but an ACC win over Syracuse under the Friday Night Lights would sure turn some frowns upside down at Chapel Hill.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When Giorgi Mamardashvili kept out Erling Haaland’s penalty early on, Ibrahima Konate was the most relieved man inside the Etihad after his glaring error led to it being awarded after a VAR check.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
-
My eleven-year-old self rolls her eyes, glares at my thirty-six-year-old body, and silently calls me fat.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Will, in response, contorts his entire face into a terrible grimace.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Thomas turned around and squeezed DeChambeau’s leg with anxiety, his face in a nervous grimace.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As the boat sails away, the Creature quietly stares into the sunrise with a smile on his face.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The video teaser Chrli shared features eerie, horror film–like sound effects and the haunting sound of violins as Charli is pinned down by an elderly hand while staring directly into the camera.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
There was no wink, there was no smirk.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Fixed with a seemingly permanent half-smile — detractors called it a smirk — Cheney joked about his outsize reputation as a stealthy manipulator.—
Calvin Woodward,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scowl. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share