sneering

present participle of sneer

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 sneering If traditional noir drew much of its energy from sneering with style at America’s sunny master narratives, those narratives have largely broken down, as has the homogenous mass-media ecosystem that endlessly recirculated them. Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026 But the Velvets were sneering at the false dichotomy between those things back in the ’60s. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 The supporting figures are colorful enough, though Akkabi’s sneering chief villain arguably makes less of an impression than his subordinates. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026 Newman’s God is laughing at our prayers, sneering at our cries for help. Time, 6 May 2026 But there’s also a kind of sneering conventional wisdom toward Vance that doesn’t seem to have much basis in political reality. Ben Smith, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026 In character as a free spirit who scorns social convention, Davis is all haughty tosses of the head and sneering lines. Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026 Chalamet, whose grandmother, mother, and sister all performed with the New York City Ballet, is not sneering at the artists. Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026 Where is the patriotism in sneering at America’s great achievements? Emilie G.c. Thompson, STAT, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneering
Verb
  • Being pelted on the world’s stage with the modern equivalent of rotten tomatoes – memes and scathing online posts – hasn't kept the dancer, born Rachael Gunn, from laughing.
    Erin Jensen, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Indeed, at lunch, instead of separating into groups to eat, all 16 participants form one mega table and spend the half-hour joking and laughing together.
    Ellise Shafer, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The second image shows De Laurentiis, her boyfriend Shane Farley and her ex-husband Todd Thompson, along with another woman, posing for a photo as Jade sits on her bed, smiling.
    Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
  • So pretending imbalance isn't happening — like when one partner is regularly absorbing all the work and smiling through it — just delays the same resentment that often festers in exchange relationships.
    Mark Travers, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sneering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneering. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster