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
Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
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
Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 14 May 2026
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
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026
The couple were pelted with confetti upon leaving the hall, smiling ecstatically.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 31 May 2026
Its smiling yellow star was born in the 1950s and rapidly spread across California throughout the 1970s.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
The picture, posted to her Instagram Stories (via Entertainment Weekly), sees Nicholson smiling next to musician Joni Mitchell.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 30 May 2026
At the premiere, a smiling Cusack — wearing a chic white dress shirt tucked into a long black skirt — posed for photos with her collaborators, including costar Greta Lee, writer-director Andrew Stanton and producer Lindsey Collins.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
John Lennon may be smiling down on the Belly Up Tavern on Sunday night.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
Losers often exit the octagon wobbling, smiling, fogged, concussed.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Bear is overcome by the spell and emerges from the bathroom smiling—for one blissful moment, the two share the same deranged love.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Adjective
Women in black hijabs and abayas, many wearing badges depicting Zahra’s smiling face, lined the streets as men prayed over her casket, placed outside the Husseiniya, a Shiite hall.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
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
Karen Jesch, a PhD student at Boston College’s Canine Cognition Center, points out that human smiling is a strange behavior to begin with, and not always a happy one.
—Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 14 May 2026
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
His review of the stadium would leave Charlotte fans smiling, too.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026
The couple were pelted with confetti upon leaving the hall, smiling ecstatically.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 31 May 2026
Its smiling yellow star was born in the 1950s and rapidly spread across California throughout the 1970s.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
The picture, posted to her Instagram Stories (via Entertainment Weekly), sees Nicholson smiling next to musician Joni Mitchell.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 30 May 2026
At the premiere, a smiling Cusack — wearing a chic white dress shirt tucked into a long black skirt — posed for photos with her collaborators, including costar Greta Lee, writer-director Andrew Stanton and producer Lindsey Collins.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
John Lennon may be smiling down on the Belly Up Tavern on Sunday night.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
Losers often exit the octagon wobbling, smiling, fogged, concussed.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Bear is overcome by the spell and emerges from the bathroom smiling—for one blissful moment, the two share the same deranged love.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smiling
Noun
-
Mira and two friends moved to a low wall and huddled around their own smartwatches, whispering and laughing.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Keith moved into the center of the balcony, posing and laughing.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gone are the days of grinning and bearing through tight, uncomfortable jeans for the sake of a cute outfit.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
-
Ball Arena went quiet, and Coghlan turned to look at his teammate, Shea Theodore, who was grinning from ear to ear.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Adjective
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Her amused, introspective grace juggling a vast cast of (wonderful) characters and (fascinating) relationships means the true story at the center here ends up playing second fiddle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
Obama’s staff would look less amused a few weeks later, as their boss hosted President-elect Trump at the White House.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Agoura’s first-year baseball coach Adam Goldstein probably wasn’t so jovial when his Chargers were blowing leads in the seventh inning this spring.—
Tarek Fattal,
Daily News,
29 May 2026
-
The final beat leaves Ava and Deborah walking down the Vegas Strip in a jovial mood, Deborah’s fate still unwritten; the treatment may or may not work.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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The picture’s eclectic cast, which included Anouk Aimée, Greta Scacchi and Maximilian Schell (with cameos by Faye Dunaway, Holly Hunter and Jeff Goldblum), swirled its merry way across the grand event in search of romance, fame and the ever-elusive movie deal.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
But in the cycling ecosystem, the Rockets are still minnows, a bunch of merry men with a camera — up against teams funded by international business conglomerates and nation states.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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Here, that flattening extends to the film’s overly polished setting, where Bargatze and Lagana’s gleeful script unfolds against a wildly generic version of suburban Tennessee.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 May 2026
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There’s also a gleeful sequence where the six members of the virtuosic onstage band swan around in polyester housecoats and peroxide wigs, all representing H’s childhood piano teacher, Doris, a woman who toured with Horowitz and sounds like Foghorn Leghorn with a pack-a-day Virginia Slims habit.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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He-Man was now a jolly, quip-ready hero, whose best friends were scaredy-cat Cringer (a green-and-yellow tiger who transformed into Battle Cat), and an annoying, hovering magician called Orko.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
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Fishing boats sat docked along the pier, bouncing on top of the water like a row of jolly babies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Fifteen minutes earlier, a cheerful therapist had slathered them in medicinal herbs and thermal mud from the nearby island of Ischia.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
30 May 2026
-
Think softer citrus tones, cheerful corals, butter yellows, and vibrant pinks and greens—anything that feels particularly sunny or energetic.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smiling. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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