smirked

past tense of smirk
as in grimaced
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

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 smirked 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 Unbothered, Louis smirked at his sister and continued to boogie to the beat. Alicia Brunker, InStyle, 11 June 2026 Stankiewicz, 61, smirked at the fitting metaphor after the Trojans clinched their first NCAA super regional berth in 21 years. Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026 One smirked while the others stared me down. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026 Corey observed the Amazon representatives smirked when residents spoke. Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026 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 Desler smirked and gave him a small nod, which Goth returned. Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirked
Verb
  • And that became mighty inconvenient in the seventh inning, when shortstop Willy Adames swung through a pitch, grimaced with lower back pain and made a tapping-out gesture to the dugout.
    Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 29 June 2026
  • Greenberg tried his best to ignore an irritating ankle injury that had plagued him the last couple of weeks and grimaced under the hazy sunlight as the pitcher, probably 20 or more years his junior, stared him down.
    Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • Dozens of members of Patriot Front stood in front of him and stared at the polycarbonate gates of the Metro system.
    Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • Those that attended mostly sat and scowled.
    Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Another line of attack likens the show to when bachelorette parties invade gay bars — a practice frequently scowled upon by gay patrons.
    Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 22 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • The maid remained at the door while Helen took a seat on the sofa, and Sonya frowned.
    Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
  • In the end, pushing extremes is favorable, and seeking consensus is frowned upon.
    J.C. Polanco, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Smirked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirked. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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