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
Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
With this, Friedmann smirked at Hall and gave a quick wave of the hand.
—James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
Gosling said in his trademark slight-smirk delivery.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Verb
When told that Hyland modeled his game after the famed streetballer Hot Sauce from the And-1 Mixtape Tour, Finch smirked.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
With this, Friedmann smirked at Hall and gave a quick wave of the hand.
—James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
Auriemma watched the chaos unfold wearing a bemused smirk.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
Gosling said in his trademark slight-smirk delivery.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirk
Verb
-
As the others grinned and grimaced at their rivals’ responses, Becerra was as stone-faced as Buster Keaton.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Wang grimaced, eying his neighbor’s yard.—
Gabriel Debenedetti,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Two pairs of staring eyes, in intimate contact.—
John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Since the discovery of the bacterial flagellar motor in the 1970s, biologists and creationists alike have marveled at its design like medieval architects staring with awe at the dome of the Pantheon built by their Roman ancestors.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The dialogue is overladen with snicker-worthy cliches, a swelling, melodramatic soundtrack that doesn’t match the mood, dubious cameos and plastic, perfunctory life-affirming quotes.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
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The event also had free opportunities to take photos, get ice cream snickers and have earned a Super Bowl post card.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
Updated February 5,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
My sister was scowling and pacing the path outside my mother’s flat.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Those that attended mostly sat and scowled.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
25 Feb. 2026
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
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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
-
Williams hadn’t qualified but jumped in as a bandit – a practice that is prohibited now but happened more regularly back then (although it was frowned upon).—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
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Unlike today, the federal government during the Great Depression frowned upon mega companies and Congress passed the Air Mail Act of 1934.—
John Pacenti,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirk. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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