as in ingratiation
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Recent Examples of smarm
There is a ripe contrast between the smarm of Springhorn Jr.’s Theo and the squeak of Pinto’s Cohen.
—
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
At its worst, the earnestness curdles into self-congratulatory smarm.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 29 June 2024
Oliver brings in Matthew Broderick, playing himself with exaggerated smarm, who effortlessly breezes through the patter song.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
That barreling is assisted mightily by the two male characters in the narrative, who take turns maximizing smarm and misogyny.
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for smarm
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
At its worst, the earnestness curdles into self-congratulatory smarm.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 29 June 2024
Oliver brings in Matthew Broderick, playing himself with exaggerated smarm, who effortlessly breezes through the patter song.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
That barreling is assisted mightily by the two male characters in the narrative, who take turns maximizing smarm and misogyny.
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for smarm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarm
Noun
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The company had also strengthened ChatGPT’s mental health guardrails at various points after Adam's death in April, especially after GPT-4o faced scrutiny over its excessive sycophancy.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
17 Sep. 2025
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As noted above, the emphasis was on the states of evil, sycophancy, and hallucination.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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According to Gaiani, drinking or using drugs before social situations is a major sign that your teen may be using alcohol to cope with fawning and to feel more comfortable or confident.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Irwin remains a top contender in Season 34, earning early praise from judge Derek Hough and tying for the highest score in Week 1.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
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This could look like public recognition, unexpected praise from a boss or an opportunity to showcase your talents in a way that feels new and exciting.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smarm. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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