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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smile
Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
Staffers will insist with a smile that the broth doesn’t really need it.
—Bao Ong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025
The late Saget, who died in 2022, smiles bashfully next to a young Bure in one of them.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smile
Verb
Don’t be pushy, show your gratitude, be open-minded, smile, greet people by their first name, learn what interests them and, most of all, have a sense of humor.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
Staffers will insist with a smile that the broth doesn’t really need it.
—Bao Ong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Noun
On a saddle between the first and second 13er, Michelle gamely smiled when Ryan snapped the last photo that was ever taken of her, hiking along the ridge backdropped by the mountain’s famous east face with the Bowl of Tears shimmering far below.
—Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025
The late Saget, who died in 2022, smiles bashfully next to a young Bure in one of them.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smile
Verb
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Patrick grins at the camera from behind the 14-time Grammy winner, while Brown and his wife, musician Katelyn Jae, stand toward the left.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
16 Sep. 2025
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The big blue gum out front clawed at the darkness, the hillside in back sank into a void of shadow, and the sky grinned its canescent grin.—
T. Coraghessan Boyle,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The suspect – identified by police as Robin Westman – was inside the store for 40 minutes, talking and laughing with other employees, as well as a customer, and testing out different firearms, the eerie footage shows.—
Taylor Galgano,
CNN Money,
22 Sep. 2025
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Céline Pozzi, a manager at L’Immagine Ritrovata, laughed at my naïveté.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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John Lunn’s soaring score makes shots of Highclere Castle, which stands in for Downton Abbey, particularly magical; Anna Robbins’s luxurious costumes, all satin, lace, and brocade, are once again gorgeous; Nivola’s smirk is a welcome bit of Yankee attitude.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2025
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Hedda’s smirk speaks volumes as the film flashes back to that fateful night.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smile. Accessed 27 Sep. 2025.
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