scowl 1 of 2

as in grimace
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval the man across the street never seems to wear anything but a scowl

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scowl

2 of 2

verb

as in to glare
to look with anger or disapproval scowled down at the misbehaving child

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Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scowl
Noun
Even Trump’s scowl in his booking photo made its way onto mugs and NFTs in his campaign store. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2024 The justice, who was appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, has drawn scowls from gun rights activists in the past over her interpretation of the right to bear arms. David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024
Verb
Pray for divine intervention, and don’t stop scowling. Grant Brisbee, The Athletic, 16 Aug. 2024 Speaking of Blake, one of our cooks Rick noticed that Blake wore the same outfit, scowled and always came in with a Monster energy drink. Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 19 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for scowl 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scowl
Noun
  • Muscles bulging and soaked in sweat, his face is etched in a grimace of extreme exertion.
    Sarah Shephard, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
  • Such movements were rapid…the outer ear and the corners of the mouth which would suddenly be drawn upwards and outwards; a whole series of grimaces was observable, none of which involved the eyes or tongue.
    Caitlyn Murphy, Hazlitt, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • For starters, there’s the glaring counterexample in Cleveland.
    John Hollinger, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
  • These quiet exchanges in parking lots and behind closed doors showed her a glaring truth: there was no safe, legitimate access to a plant that could make a profound difference.
    Javier Hasse, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The old woman, though, stares at the screen, the shadow of a smile curled into her lips and a frown barely creasing her forehead.
    Matthew Bremner, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025
  • Jean-Baptiste, her mouth set in a tight-lipped frown, her eyes ablaze with fear and loathing, soft-pedals nothing.
    Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • So is seemingly everyone else — except Edward, left to stare into the middle distance and wonder what the hell is going on.
    Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
  • Jair Horton stared blankly into the void in front of him.
    Sam Blum, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near scowl

Cite this Entry

“Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scowl. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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