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
Michelle replied with a smirk and a nudge. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 June 2026 Her roundup began with a photo of a shadow holding a wine glass outdoors, followed by a selfie with a smirk. — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 11 June 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
  • Seigler remained down for several minutes, bleeding from one arm and grimacing in pain as interim manager Chad Tracy and trainers rushed out to check him for a head injury.
    — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 9 July 2026
  • But the Canadian dug in to hold, and Djokovic was still grimacing in pain in between points.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 7 July 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
  • But in keeping with its protagonist’s difficulty staring at his feelings head-on, The Vampire Lestat—and the marketing that preceded its premiere—doesn’t start with ballads or sensual odes to far-reaching love.
    — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
  • From an underwater viewing area, Chinita Head, 52, stared past the glass alongside her 6-year-old nephew, Christian Walker.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 13 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
  • Spending so much time with Raskova’s frown was a miscalculation, when Sasha and Anastasia falling for each other, and Valya worrying about how Tanya’s past would haunt them forever, were so much more compelling.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 July 2026
  • Judges generally frown on any major actions to change voting laws in the weeks before an election.
    — Toluse Olorunnipa, The Atlantic, 4 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 16 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of smirk for Spanish Speakers

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