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
-
Moving on to more pleasant things [laughs].—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
11 May 2026
-
Well, perhaps that’s in the messaging of the people hosting the Met Ball [laughs].—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Tang smiles from behind the counter.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
-
Love Story's Paul Anthony Kelly smiles for the camera during a coffee run in SoHo on April 29 in New York City.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Many of the attendees disrupted Percival’s speech, heckling him with jeers and boos.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
-
Many of the attendees disrupted Percival’s speech, heckling him with jeers and boos.—
Las Vegas Review-Journal,
Twin Cities,
7 May 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
-
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 15 May. 2026.
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