STRAIGHT-FACED Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

straight-faced

adjective

as in deadpan

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Example Sentences

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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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for straight-faced

Adjective

The exchange reached millions when George Stern, a former McKinsey consultant, read the texts deadpan to camera, becoming one of his most viral Instagram and TikTok videos.

— Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Amid a national cinema that has become internationally recognized for perverse plotting and deadpan absurdism, writer-director Alexis Alexiou‘s third feature stands out for its stark storytelling and earnest emotional intensity.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of deadpan

Adjective

Swap a bland look for a bold color, switch up the dominant neutral, or lean into a new metallic finish to complement other hardware in the room.

— Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Aug. 2026
Indeed, while Baldessari’s work might seem bland and intellectual at first glance, plenty of pieces in the show put his sense of humor on full display.

— Douglas Markowitz, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of bland

Adjective

That virtue is undermined here by leads with minimal chemistry, one of them inexpressive and the other archly theatrical, by design if not to rewarding effect.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2026
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

Definition of inexpressive

Adjective

The marsh was built in the 1990s to naturally clean dry-weather urban runoff from San Diego Creek and address the algae blooms that once existed in Upper Newport Bay, according to the water district’s website.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Craig, now a devoted granddad with a dry sense of humor, began working alongside his father at thirteen, quitting school even though teachers warned him that house moving was a dying trade.

— Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026