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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in laughing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of smiling
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Customers who came in to buy tickets for the drawing were smiling, too.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Etsy shops, like CrystalConjureMagic, are inundated with positive reviews and happy pictures from smiling brides about the perfect weather on their big day.
—Taylor Crumpton, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
Somewhere David Ricardo is smiling.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The mother-daughter duo could be seen posing together on a red couch, smiling as their photo was taken.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Before the boy could receive it, Piotr Szczerek grabbed the souvenir and placed it in his wife's bag, who was seen smiling and appeared focused on her phone.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Yet Jerry seemed unfazed — smiling, affable, along for the (unexpected) ride.
—Howard Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stepped off his armored green train in Beijing on Tuesday, greeted by Chinese officials shaking his hand and leading him down a red carpet, many observers noticed a young girl walking behind him, smiling politely, dressed in black with her hair tied in a bow.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Customers who came in to buy tickets for the drawing were smiling, too.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Etsy shops, like CrystalConjureMagic, are inundated with positive reviews and happy pictures from smiling brides about the perfect weather on their big day.
—Taylor Crumpton, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
Somewhere David Ricardo is smiling.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The mother-daughter duo could be seen posing together on a red couch, smiling as their photo was taken.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Before the boy could receive it, Piotr Szczerek grabbed the souvenir and placed it in his wife's bag, who was seen smiling and appeared focused on her phone.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Yet Jerry seemed unfazed — smiling, affable, along for the (unexpected) ride.
—Howard Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smiling
Verb
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Storm chasers took selfies, grinning ear-to-ear.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
In one first-day clip, Kaavia’s proud parents stood side-by-side snapping photos of their daughter while grinning.—
Rachel McRady,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
While you guys had staff inside laughing, pointing and even flicking off the crowd outside.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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Earlier this week, however, Swizz shared a video of the couple smiling, laughing and dancing together to Instagram.—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Tour pro Tommy Fleetwood, meanwhile, seemed more amused than upset.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Lanthimos and cinematographer Robbie Ryan stage and shoot said home invasion like a Jacques Tati sequence — that is to say, from an amused, ironic distance that watches humans squirm and scramble without intervention.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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McAvoy turned to old friend James Corden, who rocks up as a jovial beatboxing music exec initially sceptical of Silibil N’ Brains’ real roots.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
-
For a French superstar chef whose eponymous NYC restaurant has received two Michelin stars, Daniel Boulud’s demeanor is unexpectedly laid-back and jovial.—
Brittany Loggins,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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From a massive 9-foot fir to a charming 3-foot tabletop tree, score up to 58% off a one-time buy that’ll last for years of merry memories.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Aug. 2025
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While Materialists sticks to the bounds of its love triangle, Splitsville suggests the more, the merrier.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
There is certainly a layer of ick that pervades this often gleeful depiction of the 1989 murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez by their sons, Lyle and Erik, and the media circus that followed.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
23 Aug. 2025
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What follows is a gleeful parade, perfect for viewers who always wanted to meet the high school star crush whose posters adorned their bedroom walls.—
Michelle Kung,
EW.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Instead of its usual jolly cartoons, the channel began broadcasting footage of Russian military parades accompanied by music of the Russian nationalist singer Oleg Gazmanov.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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The same jolly collection also returns to the Top Streaming Albums chart for another year.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The YouTuber greets everyone — fan on the street, friend, foe, sitting Congressmen, and unsuspecting Rolling Stone staffer — the same, with a cheerful smile and an already rolling camera crew.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
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The pet supplement space is crowded with options, many of which have cheerful packaging and confident claims, yet little transparency about efficacy.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smiling. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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