as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner
delivered the reprimand with a harsh and unsmiling face
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Recent Examples of unsmiling
The single mother of three was at her job that morning when she was asked to report immediately to the front of the building, where Wainscott was met by police officers — who showed her a photo of an unsmiling man in his early 30s, with short brown hair and a light goatee.
—
Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2025
The camera showed an unsmiling Taurasi shaking her head.
—Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
The portrait's lack of background and Trump's unsmiling gaze further differentiates it from those of his predecessors.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 4 June 2025
His Rick Honeycutt is utterly humorless, but the movie isn’t; there are plenty of laughs in pitting his deadpan impatience — conveyed by an unsmiling mouth under a push-broom mustache — against the idiot confidence of Billy Crudup’s man-child entrepreneur.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unsmiling
Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2025
The camera showed an unsmiling Taurasi shaking her head.
—Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
The portrait's lack of background and Trump's unsmiling gaze further differentiates it from those of his predecessors.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 4 June 2025
His Rick Honeycutt is utterly humorless, but the movie isn’t; there are plenty of laughs in pitting his deadpan impatience — conveyed by an unsmiling mouth under a push-broom mustache — against the idiot confidence of Billy Crudup’s man-child entrepreneur.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unsmiling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsmiling
Adjective
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Case filings list several instances in which clergy went to Whipple to minister to detainees but were refused access, including on Ash Wednesday, a solemn day in many Christian traditions in which clergy place ashes on worshippers' foreheads in the sign of the cross.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
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In one sequence, a solemn Gregorian chant pivots to a tango as Grace and Rocky’s ships connect airlock-to-airlock in spinning orbit.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The conversations came as a surprise given Rubio’s stern criticism of the Castro regime’s human rights abuses and the lack of freedom of expression inside the country.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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Fitzpatrick finished at 11-under 273 on a Copperhead course that was a stern test, with the putting surfaces already having a yellow sheen during the opening round and the course getting firmer and faster each day under an abundance of sun.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards opened for entries this week and to hype up the 2026 competition, the top wildlife photography competition for not-so-serious animals has released outtakes from last year’s contest.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
20 Mar. 2026
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One person suffered potentially life-threatening stab wounds and is in serious condition.—
Logan Hall,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsmiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsmiling. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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