as in to grimace
to smile in an unpleasant way because you are pleased with yourself, glad about someone else's trouble, etc.
She tried not to smirk when they announced the winner.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smirk
Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2025
Desler smirked and gave him a small nod, which Goth returned.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
One shot revisits a scene from the first film — this time from a new angle — showing Glinda whispering to Elphaba, who reacts with a smirk.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Verb
The Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo smirked while preparing to box out, and Washington made one but missed his final two free throws.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2025
Desler smirked and gave him a small nod, which Goth returned.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
Making the most of his spindly body and LaGuardia High School–bred smirk, Chalamet uses his inescapable boyishness completely to his advantage, bringing an immature audacity to the classic in-over-his-head operator.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
One shot revisits a scene from the first film — this time from a new angle — showing Glinda whispering to Elphaba, who reacts with a smirk.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirk
Verb
-
The knee buckled upon his landing and Butler screamed, grimaced and grabbed at his knee while down for a couple of minutes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Nix grimaced and walked off the field.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
McDonald’s is spreading a little festive sneer this holiday season with the release of a brand-new menu inspired by Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Nov. 2025
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Burnett tried several versions in a row: first deadpan, then with a sneer of sarcasm, pursing her lips in judgment.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Social media users have stared deep into that footage, and some have seen their own reflection.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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What's captivating enough about Freescape's van that show goer after show goer can't help but to stop and stare, at least momentarily, is the unique pop-up roof system, a patented design that's being called the first of its kind.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
While there were a few snickers, the photographers obliged and got their photos.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Early never makes fun of Maddie, never lets the audience snicker at the screen.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Grejo sank scowling back into his chair as though stung by Adi’s answer.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Their head coach, Curt Cignetti, perpetually scowling beneath his 1950s crew cut, is fuel for countless memes.—
Keith O’Brien,
The Atlantic,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Each time an audience member so much as sniggers or sneezes, money is docked from a prize pot of £250,000 ($330,000), the slightest noise costing them up to £10,000 ($13,000) each time.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
2 May 2025
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This offbeat comedy, which originally ran from 2007-10, thrives on less explicit social tensions: sniggers behind the back and raised eyebrows at the dinner table.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
26 Dec. 2019
Verb
-
The men stood frowning at each other and then back at Adi until the one without the gun broke into croaks of laughter.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Opponents complained that annexing the whole of Mexico would be financially ruinous, and frowned upon having the military indefinitely deployed to Mexico, where most of the citizens would not welcome them.—
Vivian Salama,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirk. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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