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
Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
The Poets smirking at us in the garden, their coats blowing open like bat wings.
—Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Coach Ben Johnson began Week 6 with a smirk when asked about the position.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Verb
Sneed repeated, and then smirked.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
The Poets smirking at us in the garden, their coats blowing open like bat wings.
—Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
In the quarter millennium since, scholars and activists have in different ways done their damnedest to wipe the smirk off his face.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Coach Ben Johnson began Week 6 with a smirk when asked about the position.
—Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirk
Verb
-
Wentz was noticeably grimacing throughout the majority of the game.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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After taking a fastball on the knee in the fifth game of the series, outfield veteran George Springer returned to the starting lineup on Sunday and was noticeably limping and grimacing during his at-bats.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Anderson plunges the audience into the rebels’ point of view, immersing us in the recalcitrant pride and swagger of Perfidia Beverly Hills, a revolutionary leader played by Teyana Taylor with a hypnotic sneer of defiance.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Sep. 2025
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Jacob sneers, but doesn’t even wait for his son to answer.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
As the boat sails away, the Creature quietly stares into the sunrise with a smile on his face.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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The video teaser Chrli shared features eerie, horror film–like sound effects and the haunting sound of violins as Charli is pinned down by an elderly hand while staring directly into the camera.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Early never makes fun of Maddie, never lets the audience snicker at the screen.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
-
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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However, there has been a growing edge to Denver’s current group, personified on the field in the way safety Talanoa Hufanga flies to the ball and in the way Cooper scowls under his eye black.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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Now our favorite scowling friend is getting his own movie, too.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
15 Oct. 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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Just don’t forget to bring a cup or water bottle to sample the water, as drinking directly from the spout is frowned upon.—
Cat Sposato,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
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While wave pools were once frowned upon by most surfers who argued machines couldn’t replace Mother Nature, many have come around as technology has improved.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirk. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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