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
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Jean Franklin, center, laughs with her sons, Louis (right) and Charlie, and Charlie's girlfriend, Masha Billingsley.—
Christine Mai-Duc,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Son laughs when asked about that decision.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The piercing gets its name from the fact that it can only be seen when a person smiles.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
24 Feb. 2026
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Its name comes from the fact that it can only be seen when a person smiles — something Alysa Liu did plenty of the past two weeks.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Feb. 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
-
Four Black commissioners, three white non-Hispanics and six Hispanics found common ground, voting 13-0 for repeal after a boisterous public debate that sometimes dissolved into shouts, jeers and catcalls.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
-
There was a second of stunned silence before the room erupted in boos and jeers.—
JJ Holmes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Rite of Spring premiere, on the other hand, caused a riot of booing, yelling, catcalls and face-punching, becoming one of the most infamous nights in the history of music.—
Luis Palomares,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 2026.
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