1
as in laughs
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 sneers
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
smiled at their ridiculous antics and walked away in disgust
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smiles
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Rondon smiles again at the memory while pointing out that his experience in being able to read the situation also helped.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
Kaylee smiles at the suggestion.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
Jinkx Monsoon smiles out at the crowd as Mary Todd Lincoln during the new cast opening night curtain call for the hit play Oh, Mary!
—Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
Meghan Markle smiles as a camera crew film her during 'With Love, Meghan' Season 2, which was released in August 2025.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Rondon smiles again at the memory while pointing out that his experience in being able to read the situation also helped.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
Kaylee smiles at the suggestion.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
Jinkx Monsoon smiles out at the crowd as Mary Todd Lincoln during the new cast opening night curtain call for the hit play Oh, Mary!
—Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smiles
Verb
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TikTok @thanosthesaint Clearly enamored with the new game, Lavender grins up at the camera—and the video then switches to her doing the very same thing at a different time, and this time Thanos has all four legs in the air for easier access.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Hiro, who is set to receive the TIFF Variety Artisan Award, laughs.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
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Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers laughs with Max Muncy #13 after a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on August 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The aim was to encode the various nuanced ways human faces transmit states of mind, and then to visualize them; smiles and frowns are the barest beginning.—
Dan Rockmore,
New Yorker,
9 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smiles. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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