as in laughing
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1
as in grinning
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sneering
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
smiled at their ridiculous antics and walked away in disgust
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smiling
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Umanmielen responded with a GIF of a smiling, but famously blind, Stevie Wonder.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
Tutu, the new documentary from Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI, 4 Little Girls), is a behind-the-scenes look at the life of the smiling, joyous rebel clergyman who helped end Apartheid.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
In the background, a blurry Curtis could be seen smiling and looking down.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 15 Feb. 2026
Within that high-stress environment, any smiling face is welcome.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
Not a candid shot of in-game or locker room celebrations – an official team photo with two lines of players, smiling school-picture style with hands behind their backs or on their knees.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026
Another smartly dressed man appears, smiling, and guides us into a discreet anteroom.
—Caroline Law, TheWeek, 9 Feb. 2026
The staff here is always friendly, always smiling, and always eager to keep the wait to a minimum.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
Other posts included Guthrie smiling alongside members of her family.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
As Thomas’ parents, Katina Smith and Bobby Thomas, unveiled their son’s smiling statue in the Broncos’ Ring of Fame Plaza last Sunday, as scores of his former teammates looked on in sadness and joy, Miller was 800 miles away in Dallas, gearing up for a game against the Cowboys.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
There was a lot of nervous smiling.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Umanmielen responded with a GIF of a smiling, but famously blind, Stevie Wonder.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
Busch has gotten good at smiling through such a nuisance, just like how Rory McIlroy became adept at politicking through questions about The Masters until that script flipped last year.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
Tutu, the new documentary from Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI, 4 Little Girls), is a behind-the-scenes look at the life of the smiling, joyous rebel clergyman who helped end Apartheid.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
In the background, a blurry Curtis could be seen smiling and looking down.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 15 Feb. 2026
Within that high-stress environment, any smiling face is welcome.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
Not a candid shot of in-game or locker room celebrations – an official team photo with two lines of players, smiling school-picture style with hands behind their backs or on their knees.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026
Another smartly dressed man appears, smiling, and guides us into a discreet anteroom.
—Caroline Law, TheWeek, 9 Feb. 2026
The staff here is always friendly, always smiling, and always eager to keep the wait to a minimum.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
Other posts included Guthrie smiling alongside members of her family.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smiling
Noun
-
In a video shared with CBS News Chicago by an immigration rapid response group, Bovino can be seen on the sidewalk standing with a group of Border Patrol agents, talking and laughing.—
Sabrina Franza,
CBS News,
16 Dec. 2025
-
Harbour and Brown arrived together on the red carpet for the premiere of the latest season and were captured on camera laughing, hugging each other and posing for photos.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Processions of awestruck people from all over the world—selfie-taking women in saris, chatty Mexican children, grinning Hare Krishna—marched along a paved path, heads craned upward toward the water.—
Alice Gregory,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Four minutes into Bad Bunny’s halftime show during the Super Bowl, the camera panned over two rows of grinning string players.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Simbi Khali played Nina Campbell, the sharp-witted assistant who often reacted to the Solomons’ antics with amused disbelief.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
-
And there’s Faithfull, watching her past paraded before her with an amused smile and a sense of high irony still intact.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Since starting at the newspaper, Eaton has used his jovial spirit and thoughtful reporting skills to connect with people in the Harambee neighborhood on Milwaukee's north side.—
Kynala Phillips,
jsonline.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
That said, Mike presents as an uplifting, jovial kind of guy.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Amaryllis flowers and winter greenery make for a merry arrangement.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Which means if there’s more than two inches of snow on the ground, a merry band of Aurora volunteers spread out across neighborhoods to help seniors clear their sidewalks, stoops and driveways.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The gleeful visuals and sounds, however, are what really propel the movie along.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The new Wade is an endlessly wisecracking chatterbox, shattering the fourth wall with gleeful abandon.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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While his jolly personality won him many friends at the top of the pyramid, his flock of ordinary Catholics saw only his other side.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The surviving kids begin to suspect something is up, but their attempts to appeal to this world’s sad excuses for adult supervision — a jolly mailman, a blank-faced nurse, and a talking train — just lead to more murders.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Despite having her arms almost permanently crossed and a scowl on her face, Ivy eventually starts to warm up, especially to her cheerful, horny-as-a-chihuahua cabin-mate Ella (Ruby Stokes, recently seen in Bridgerton and The Burning Girls).—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Even the cheerful, bright yellow winter aconite (Eranthus hyemalis) that have crept out into the lawn have popped open a few of their cheerful yellow blooms just a few inches above the frozen soil.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smiling. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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