1
as in grins
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 laughs
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
Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Melton channels that indecision into a physicality that feels like a child being told to sit still and smiles that increasingly don’t reach his eyes.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
In the black-and-white photo, taken at the Season 3 premiere of the HBO series, Sweeney, 28, smiles widely at the camera with a close Braun, 44, looking away.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
When passengers walk down hallways, the crew steps aside, smiles, and says hello.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
Wade smiles broadly over the WhatsApp video call, with the beauty of Jamaica’s landscape spreading out behind him.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
McCaughey is a Newsmax cable host who smiles big, talks fast and touts audacious promises — foremost among them, a vow to eliminate the income tax in Connecticut, an idea that was central to Republican Bob Stefanowski’s losing campaign for governor against Lamont in 2018.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
Fortune rarely smiles twice on the same backside.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
Kiefer Sherwood #44 of the San Jose Sharks smiles between plays in the first period against the Calgary Flames at SAP Center on February 26, 2026 in San Jose.
—CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
Chloe Cherry smiles for the camera and pops her hip in a black gown with a sheer panel at the premiere of Netflix's Roommates in Los Angeles.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Melton channels that indecision into a physicality that feels like a child being told to sit still and smiles that increasingly don’t reach his eyes.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
In the black-and-white photo, taken at the Season 3 premiere of the HBO series, Sweeney, 28, smiles widely at the camera with a close Braun, 44, looking away.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
When passengers walk down hallways, the crew steps aside, smiles, and says hello.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
Wade smiles broadly over the WhatsApp video call, with the beauty of Jamaica’s landscape spreading out behind him.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
McCaughey is a Newsmax cable host who smiles big, talks fast and touts audacious promises — foremost among them, a vow to eliminate the income tax in Connecticut, an idea that was central to Republican Bob Stefanowski’s losing campaign for governor against Lamont in 2018.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
Fortune rarely smiles twice on the same backside.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
Kiefer Sherwood #44 of the San Jose Sharks smiles between plays in the first period against the Calgary Flames at SAP Center on February 26, 2026 in San Jose.
—CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smiles
Verb
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Wells, hidden in a tiny video-village setup inside one of the set’s curtained exam rooms, grins at the monitor and turns around to give Einesman a thumbs-up.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
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Adam Brody grins from ear to ear while supporting Nobody Wants This at the 2026 PaleyFest in Los Angeles on April 8.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One can see why wrestling appealed to him—the crowd is everything, the rules mean nothing, and the referees are so feckless that they often get knocked out and everyone laughs.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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In one snap, the foursome laughs as Crown Prince Christian pretends to grab his younger brother's neck.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Those surrounding the bride stood up and began clapping, their frowns shifting to wide smiles.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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If only humans kept their expressions to cartoonishly clear frowns and smiles.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And yet, the wry grimaces that followed said the quiet part out loud.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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In the video, Claffey tries to move Ansell away from the subject and grimaces at the camera when his costar seems to say a little too much.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smiles. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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