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
Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Something of a Hurley whisperer, who is there to translate what the coach wants – minus the additional adjectives – for his teammates, usually sitting and smirking while Hurley riffs on the grievance of the day.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
With a smirk on his face, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman interrupted the question.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Verb
The poet paused to smirk at the homey names on Clark’s maps—Rum River, Little Shallow River, Onion Creek.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Something of a Hurley whisperer, who is there to translate what the coach wants – minus the additional adjectives – for his teammates, usually sitting and smirking while Hurley riffs on the grievance of the day.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
His exaggerated blowing of the candle got a knowing smirk from Kate Middleton as the family attended the Christmas service at at Westminster Abbey in 2023.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
With a smirk on his face, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman interrupted the question.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirk
Verb
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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
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But the Hollywood adapters couldn’t be blamed for everything that seemed inherently clunky or, by now, dated about the musical’s book, parts of which were bound to leave a contemporary audience grimacing a little between all the grins the score provokes.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Noun
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While some celebrants have greeted these caricatures with cathartic jeers and sneers, others are shocked and outraged.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
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From the sneer of Billy Idol to the smooth sashaying of Sade, the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees amplify the institution’s commitment to recognizing a diverse slate.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In another Amsterdam photo, a pair of identical world globes, recalling Ghirri’s passion for cartography and atlases, rest on matching supports to conjure that oldest of surrealist tropes, a pair of staring eyes.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Sure, there are probably supermodels, sports stars, and famous actors in your midst (don’t stare).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
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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
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Early never makes fun of Maddie, never lets the audience snicker at the screen.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
6 May 2026
Verb
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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
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But there’s more to Brind’Amour than the person fans see screaming and scowling behind the bench or stomping around the dressing room in a postwin video looking like some combination of Godzilla and Chris Farley’s famous Matt Foley character.—
Cory Lavalette,
New York Times,
7 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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Don’t Kill Reach with External Links Like any business that makes money from advertising, LinkedIn frowns upon directing people away from LinkedIn to another site.—
William Arruda,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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Here is our review of a 2025-26 campaign that’s ended with more smiles than frowns.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirk. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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