1
as in to grin
to express an emotion (as amusement) by curving the lips upward
the soldier smiled in pleasure when he saw the giant sign welcoming him home
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to laugh
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
smiled at their ridiculous antics and walked away in disgust
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in grin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smile
Jay Stahl, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Ian had been handsome, popular, in love with a new girlfriend—the kind of golden boy upon whom fortune smiles.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
Matt Cabral, EW.com, 26 May 2025
Kemba never changed, the money, the lifestyle, none of it wiped the joy, the smile from his eyes and his face.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smile
Verb
In another picture, Basinger smiled with Baldwin and two other women.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Ian had been handsome, popular, in love with a new girlfriend—the kind of golden boy upon whom fortune smiles.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
Noun
Jan's faux friend arrives with a big smile and a bottle of champagne, but things go downhill quickly from there.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 26 May 2025
Kemba never changed, the money, the lifestyle, none of it wiped the joy, the smile from his eyes and his face.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smile
Verb
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Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, one of the top passers in NFL history, grinned broadly when asked about playing flag football in the Olympics.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
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One of our last photos of him was taken inside that diner, grinning at us over an orange coffee cup.—
Gwen Rockwood,
Arkansas Online,
15 May 2025
Verb
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What if automatic password hacking machines laugh in the face of your security efforts?—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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Are the locals quietly laughing at us behind our backs?—
James Fallon,
Footwear News,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Aimee Lou Wood, who played Chelsea, couldn’t believe the attention on her toothy smirk.—
Brittany Talarico,
People.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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In group settings, Edelman was good for a clip on the local news, making a wry joke about his own passing abilities, the opposing team or Brady with a smirk on his face.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
6 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smile. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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