smirk 1 of 2

verb

Definition of smirknext
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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smirk

2 of 2

noun

as in sneer

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of smirk
Verb
On our recent trip to Arizona, my 12-year-old son lingered in the Grand Canyon gift shop near the stickers, smirked at me, and picked out two of his favorites. — Jaclyn Greenberg, Parents, 18 June 2026 Head coach Todd Bowles could only smirk. — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2026
Noun
His trademark smirk visible for NBA fans to see. — James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 3 June 2026 An elderly man offered a smirk for his mugshot after being arrested in a caught-on-camera hit-and-run involving a cyclist group. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for smirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirk
  1. grimace
  2. sneer
  3. stare
  4. snicker
  5. scowl
  6. snigger
  7. frown
Verb
  • Adames departed Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Braves due to back spasms after striking out to end the seventh inning, noticeably grimacing during the follow-through of his swing.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 3 July 2026
  • And that became mighty inconvenient in the seventh inning, when shortstop Willy Adames swung through a pitch, grimaced with lower back pain and made a tapping-out gesture to the dugout.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of grimace
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of sneer
Verb
  • His suns stare curiously from one side of a page spread to another and his stacks of hay worriedly study the horizon, while his one-eyed stools and one-eyed fenceposts pop up like eager cyclopses.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
  • No foul was assessed in real time, and the red card was awarded only after the official stared at a slow-motion replay.
    — Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of stare
Noun
  • The grown-ups in the audience snicker.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of snicker
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of scowl
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
  • The tribal leader sniggers; a trade with foreign infidels is inconceivable.
    — Bing West, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2011
Definition of snigger
Verb
  • Judges generally frown on any major actions to change voting laws in the weeks before an election.
    — Toluse Olorunnipa, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026
  • It is also frowned upon for the guests to help themselves to multiple servings without getting a cue from the host.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 3 July 2026
Definition of frown

Browse Nearby Words

smirching
smirk
smirked
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Cite this Entry

“Smirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirk. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of smirk for Spanish Speakers

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