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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Recent Examples of smirk
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, backup quarterback Cole Ballard couldn’t help but smirk when asked about Henderson.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2025
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
At the other end of the bar, Don was smirking as though looking forward to the lecture Odette was going to give Charlie.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Verb
Alan Clarke, executive director of advanced EV development at Ford, sitting next to Field, nodded in agreement while wearing a similar smirk.
—Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, backup quarterback Cole Ballard couldn’t help but smirk when asked about Henderson.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
And Jules raises his hand, kind of smirking already.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
At the other end of the bar, Don was smirking as though looking forward to the lecture Odette was going to give Charlie.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirk
Verb
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Miller could be seen bending over and grimacing after the fateful pitch, in an obvious degree of pain.—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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Shelton first grimaced in pain after hitting a forehand at the end of the third set.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Jacob sneers, but doesn’t even wait for his son to answer.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
15 Aug. 2025
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The single, meanwhile, is ushered in with a gripping bass line and an undercurrent of keyboards until Osbourne makes his grand vocal entrance, all sneers and snarls.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
Verb
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That video showed the cat staring sadly through a glass pane, showcasing yet again the intensity of her feelings about being separated from her owner.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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The turnaround at Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren was staring irrelevance in the face when Procter & Gamble veteran Patrice Louvet took over as CEO and brought the fashion brand back to its luxury roots.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Early never makes fun of Maddie, never lets the audience snicker at the screen.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
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The carnage leads to a sigh of an epilogue that seems, without giving anything away, like a curious letdown, a cruel little snicker from Aster that doesn’t entirely satisfy.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Ray’s brother, Jem (Sean Bean), has shown up to reconnect, and for a long time these two sit around not saying very much, pouring drinks and scowling at each other, at one point getting their ya-yas out with a midnight rock ‘n’ roll dance, then scowling some more.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Sep. 2025
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His real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio; his stage name, as fans later learned, was inspired by a childhood photograph that captured him, scowling, in a rabbit costume.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
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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According to Coker, Robb & Cannon, these consequences can also damage your case in family court, as judges generally frown on surveillance between spouses or co-parents.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Sep. 2025
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Not explained is whether Makary would be happier if drug companies placed ads with immobile patients, frowns, and funereal music.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirk. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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