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
Jose De Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
The actress walks the show’s fine line between drama and satire perfectly, never seeming to take the occasion too seriously but also refusing to smirk at the camera.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
In those heady decades of postmodern language-play and seductive irresolution, claims for literature as a force for truth and justice would likely be dismissed, with a smirk, as humanist pieties.
—Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Verb
Stankiewicz, 61, smirked at the fitting metaphor after the Trojans clinched their first NCAA super regional berth in 21 years.
—Jose De Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
The actress walks the show’s fine line between drama and satire perfectly, never seeming to take the occasion too seriously but also refusing to smirk at the camera.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Noun
For her part, the first lady nearly managed a smirk.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
In those heady decades of postmodern language-play and seductive irresolution, claims for literature as a force for truth and justice would likely be dismissed, with a smirk, as humanist pieties.
—Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirk
Verb
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In the fifth inning, Pasquantino grimaced in pain after a swing at the plate.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
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In the first quarter, Brunson exited with an apparent leg injury, frequently grimacing and favoring his right knee.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
Noun
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With his rakish sneer and ruthlessly tight jodhpurs, Rupert has been thoroughly neutered with irony, transformed into an object for women to pick at.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
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Of course, the prospect of one of the greatest women’s footballers in history skittering around Bromley on a Saturday lunchtime in front of a smattering of fans inevitably inspires sneers.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Only, instead of juicy confessions of a vampire, the footage just shows Lestat staring at him, silent, for half an hour.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
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The man came over to me, his face a foot away from mine, and stared into my eyes.—
Bob Brody,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
The grown-ups in the audience snicker.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
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There were snickers from some of the other students, including a tall and lank-haired kid whose name Adele didn’t know.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
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As a 7-year-old, I’d entertain my father’s friends, at their weekly pickup game at a Bronx barn-house gymnasium, by imitating his game face—bottom lip jutting, eyes scowling.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
14 June 2026
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Modern tiki tends to take a lighter touch, using more abstract graphics, less imagery of women and scowling gods.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
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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
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The upstairs neighbors would like to go to sleep somewhere between 9 at night and midnight, and so applause was frowned upon at the Gaslight.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
23 June 2026
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Oftentimes, disabling security protections is frowned upon.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
22 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirk. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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