as in grimacing
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 smirking
The smirking beagle has haunted me all holiday season.
—
Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 13 Dec. 2025
The smirking Nabokov is tiresome.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
The Poets smirking at us in the garden, their coats blowing open like bat wings.
—Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Cary Grant built a career on smirking suavity; Cate Blanchett has made an art form of falling apart with tragic intensity.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
And Jules raises his hand, kind of smirking already.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
At the other end of the bar, Don was smirking as though looking forward to the lecture Odette was going to give Charlie.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Ideological skirmishes over the motives and obligations of Carpenter’s music include both sincere interrogation of its feminism and smirking counteractive reprisals to that scrutiny.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Colson replied with a photo of herself smirking while wearing a green jacket.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 13 Dec. 2025
The smirking Nabokov is tiresome.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
The Poets smirking at us in the garden, their coats blowing open like bat wings.
—Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Cary Grant built a career on smirking suavity; Cate Blanchett has made an art form of falling apart with tragic intensity.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
And Jules raises his hand, kind of smirking already.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
At the other end of the bar, Don was smirking as though looking forward to the lecture Odette was going to give Charlie.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Ideological skirmishes over the motives and obligations of Carpenter’s music include both sincere interrogation of its feminism and smirking counteractive reprisals to that scrutiny.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Colson replied with a photo of herself smirking while wearing a green jacket.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirking
Verb
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After grimacing, Daniels popped up and headed to the bench, where he was greeted by multiple athletic trainers and the team doctor.—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
8 Dec. 2025
-
Nearby, a large man with a wad of cash was grimacing into a digital roulette machine.—
Adam Iscoe,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Below-average play is often staring you right in the face while catastrophe lurks around the corner.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The face in question, below, involves Sherman staring with her mouth agape.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Part of me believes that, if Indiana wins, Cignetti should retire after this season and spend the rest of his life on a beach, scowling at resort attendants and being basically unimpeachable forever.—
Will Leitch,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Picture Andy Warhol scowling in the corner of the billiards room.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
One mask depicts a frowning hobo with a 5 o'clock shadow that represents the aforementioned vagrant.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Dec. 2025
-
Derek Hinkey’s character, the Shoshone warrior Red Feather, is almost always frowning at white settlers, looking undeniably foreboding with his face slathered in black paint and galloping on horseback into battle.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
He’s never been seen publicly pouting or seeming unhappy.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Jan. 2026
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At the bull riding, no one can have fun because Natalie is pouting because her fight attempt failed.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smirking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirking. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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