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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Example Sentences
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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
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If only humans kept their expressions to cartoonishly clear frowns and smiles.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
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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
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One glaring weakness is in the hotel sector, with deal value down 30% in September compared with the same month in 2024.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
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The investigation quickly ran into road blocks, however, in the form of glaring inconsistencies in Rebecca's stories, according to authorities.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Thomas turned around and squeezed DeChambeau’s leg with anxiety, his face in a nervous grimace.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Per the season's sneak peek, this year's voyage pairs steamy trysts among the crew with some grimace-worthy incidents, from jellyfish sightings and jet ski accidents (and what looks to be a lone charter guest floating out to sea on a raft).—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Recipes from Valencia took me back to an afternoon lounging in the lawns near The City of Arts and Sciences, staring at orange trees, plucking pieces of rabbit from paella with my fingers, and swirling toast into olive oil.—
Jamila Robinson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Oct. 2025
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The iconic meadow scene, during which Bella and Edward stare longingly at one another on the forest floor, reached new levels of enchantmemt thanks to a proper display of the scene's idyllic panorama.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That comment and a smirk from Holly pushed her over the edge.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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As Hedda battles with herself, there’s a rage simmering underneath every smirk and every one of her bleak and destructive actions.—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang,
Refinery29,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scowl. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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