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
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Rays manager Kevin Cash also couldn’t help but smirk at the situation.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 1 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
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
Rays manager Kevin Cash also couldn’t help but smirk at the situation.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 1 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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The Avs’ star defender quickly grimaced, dropped his stick and appeared to grab his right shoulder in agony.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
14 May 2026
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Anthony appeared to tweak his hand after checking his swing during his first-inning at bat, grimacing and flexing his hand after pulling up three quarters of the way through his follow through.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
4 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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Why Off-Grid Travel Is Booming In 2026 The shift is driven by hard numbers about how much of life is spent staring at a screen.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
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His hands were at ten and two, his face fixed, staring straight ahead.—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Early never makes fun of Maddie, never lets the audience snicker at the screen.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
6 May 2026
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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
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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Skateboarding, a counter-culture sport once frowned upon in the mainstream, has gained popularity in recent years.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
19 May 2026
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While the bizarre urge to chuck things at rock stars performing music onstage has been around since the advent of, well, rock stars and stages, it’s increasingly frowned upon and widely considered the ultimate concert faux pas.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirk. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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