1
as in to grin
to express an emotion (as amusement) by curving the lips upward
the soldier smiled in pleasure when he saw the giant sign welcoming him home
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to laugh
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
smiled at their ridiculous antics and walked away in disgust
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in grin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smile
Jay Stahl, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Ian had been handsome, popular, in love with a new girlfriend—the kind of golden boy upon whom fortune smiles.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
Matt Cabral, EW.com, 26 May 2025
Kemba never changed, the money, the lifestyle, none of it wiped the joy, the smile from his eyes and his face.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smile
Verb
In another picture, Basinger smiled with Baldwin and two other women.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Ian had been handsome, popular, in love with a new girlfriend—the kind of golden boy upon whom fortune smiles.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
Noun
Jan's faux friend arrives with a big smile and a bottle of champagne, but things go downhill quickly from there.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 26 May 2025
Kemba never changed, the money, the lifestyle, none of it wiped the joy, the smile from his eyes and his face.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smile
Verb
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Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, one of the top passers in NFL history, grinned broadly when asked about playing flag football in the Olympics.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
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One of our last photos of him was taken inside that diner, grinning at us over an orange coffee cup.—
Gwen Rockwood,
Arkansas Online,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Carrington laughed with teammate Marina Mabrey after the incident.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
5 June 2025
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Carney almost laughed at the notion that young audiences, especially internationally, particularly care about the market size of the NBA Finalists.—
Howard Homonoff,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Modern thinkers stopped using these concepts altogether except in quotation marks, with a wink, a smirk, and a glance backward toward the unscientific past.—
Isaac Bashevis Singer,
Harpers Magazine,
26 Mar. 2025
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Aimee Lou Wood, who played Chelsea, couldn’t believe the attention on her toothy smirk.—
Brittany Talarico,
People.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smile. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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