as in deadpan
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Recent Examples of straight-faced
Mamdani emerged from this shroud of mystery triumphant, posting a photograph on X of himself, firmly straight-faced, standing alongside the grinning President.
—
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
The bill is presented, straight-faced, as securing election integrity.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
To which Liu responded, straight-faced and finally dead serious.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
But the rest of the movie is straight-faced, as though its story of two reckless sociopaths vying to destroy the world in their respective modes weren’t appallingly depressing.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2025
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
The bill is presented, straight-faced, as securing election integrity.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
To which Liu responded, straight-faced and finally dead serious.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
But the rest of the movie is straight-faced, as though its story of two reckless sociopaths vying to destroy the world in their respective modes weren’t appallingly depressing.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straight-faced
Adjective
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His deadpan humor comes through most brilliantly in Game Boy Tetris (2013–19), a parody of the logic of optimization that underpins capitalist culture.—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
1 May 2026
-
And Lemisch’s deadpan museum — along with the delighted public response to it — was very much a part of it.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The routine calls for this chic, almost expressionless vibe — very different from a typical K-pop performance.—
Billboard Korea,
Billboard,
26 Nov. 2025
-
Bale ran to the corner of the pitch, and, having been an expressionless bystander for much of the evening, shouted in ecstasy.—
Hua Hsu,
The New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2022
Adjective
-
Bad cotija is hopelessly bland, rubbery and ridiculously salty.—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
-
Aside from some bland staging, the principals aren’t the problem.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Candles flickered on long wooden tables beneath a sprawling mulberry tree as Matt French stepped in front of the doorway of his sleek Pioneertown home, holding a drink aloft.—
Deborah Netburn,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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From the scandal of his early figurative work in the 1960s, through the upside-down paintings that became his signature, to the wooden figures shown at the 1980 Venice Biennale that appeared to salute like broken monuments, his practice was defined by disruption.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
In winter, the solid, stoic presence of an oak makes an inspiring silhouette against the sky.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2026
-
The organization’s president, though, was stoic afterward.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Moments of physical intimacy between his protagonists are often relayed in rigid and frustratingly inexpressive language, which occasionally veers into the tiringly smutty.—
Taran Dugal,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Curiously, given that Casey began as a choreographer, the lackluster dance is energetic but inexpressive.—
David Benedict,
Variety,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
Pratt took aim at Bass over the lack of water available during the inferno, with fire hydrants running dry.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Materials like micro-modal or bamboo blends combine softness with the ability to pull moisture away from the skin, helping keep it drier throughout the day.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Kinlaw remained stolid throughout most of the public comment period and did not address calls for his resignation.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
-
At the outset, Martin (William Giammona) is as stolid as a piece of furniture, standing stock still at center stage, the black rectangle through which the other actors enter and exit like a deep void behind him.—
Steven Winn,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straight-faced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straight-faced. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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