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
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Recent Examples of smirked
Stankiewicz, 61, smirked at the fitting metaphor after the Trojans clinched their first NCAA super regional berth in 21 years.
—
Jose De Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 4 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
While his competitors smirked at the notion of a jukebox mobile, Jobs drove Apple to create the iPhone.
—Big Think, 3 Nov. 2025
Sneed repeated, and then smirked.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Jose De Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 4 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
While his competitors smirked at the notion of a jukebox mobile, Jobs drove Apple to create the iPhone.
—Big Think, 3 Nov. 2025
Sneed repeated, and then smirked.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirked
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
-
In the sixth, Pasquantino grimaced during the follow-through on his swing.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My wife stared at the broken cup for a while without saying a word.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Layne stared for a long time at the reflection pools there.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Those that attended mostly sat and scowled.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
25 Feb. 2026
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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
-
In a pre-AI world, companies would’ve frowned upon allowing clients to bypass the online front door to their services.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
-
On Saturday, Hill defended Carter after former Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes explained why publicly targeting a teammate is frowned upon inside an NFL locker room.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smirked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirked. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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