as in laughs
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
they brushed off his sneer and went about their business
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Recent Examples of sneers
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Jacob sneers, but doesn’t even wait for his son to answer.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile her old-school Communist grandmother sneers at the tactics her Red Diaper daughter employed.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Jacob sneers, but doesn’t even wait for his son to answer.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneers
Verb
-
Hayden, working the grill behind her husband, laughs and shakes her head with a slight eye roll the way only a loving wife can.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Henry takes in Link, who at this point is a teenager and laughs him off.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wade smiles broadly over the WhatsApp video call, with the beauty of Jamaica’s landscape spreading out behind him.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Laura Linney smiles wide at the premiere of her new comedy American Classic in London on March 31.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The event also had free opportunities to take photos, get ice cream snickers and have earned a Super Bowl post card.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
Updated February 5,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
While there were a few snickers, the photographers obliged and got their photos.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
While some celebrants have greeted these caricatures with cathartic jeers and sneers, others are shocked and outraged.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
-
On the Orioles’ opening day, the governor was introduced and greeted with a cacophony of boos and jeers.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When the Huskies took the court here, they were booed roundly and Hurley’s postgame interview with CBS was nearly drowned by the catcalls.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
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All three Republican gubernatorial candidates also had fun in the aftermath of the catcalls.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Clearing right-of-way strips can result in the loss of trees and native vegetation; crackles, hisses and humming can be heard nearby especially during periods of high humidity; and farm fields and animal habitat can be affected by construction activities.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sneers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneers. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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