as in to grimace
to smile in an unpleasant way because you are pleased with yourself, glad about someone else's trouble, etc.
She tried not to smirk when they announced the winner.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smirk
Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
But the edge rusher smirked when asked if Smith-Marsette had earned the right to run some Wildcat plays now with the offense.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
It is dipped in Grinch-green icing with a frosting smirk, tuft of hair and the classic yellow eyes.
—Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smirk 
Verb
At the mention of his record-setting streak of passes without an interception, Justin Herbert gently knocked on a wooden lectern and smirked.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
But the edge rusher smirked when asked if Smith-Marsette had earned the right to run some Wildcat plays now with the offense.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
Alexander said with a smirk during the postgame news conference.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
It is dipped in Grinch-green icing with a frosting smirk, tuft of hair and the classic yellow eyes.
—Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirk
Noun
-
Ruby’s face hardened, her lips twisting into a sneer.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
2 Jan. 2025
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Donning false teeth and a homicidal sneer, Dafoe embodied pure evil in Lynch’s crazed road movie, starring opposite Laura Dern and Nicolas Cage.—
Chris Vognar,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The clip ended with Dwayne staring at the camera frowning.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
19 Jan. 2025
-
For better or worse, Summers is staring at a largely blank slate.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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League sources stifle their snickers in public while privately marveling at the owner’s ceaseless stupidity. 3.—
Jeff Howe,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
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So he must be placed in the Apparition section, next to ghosts like John Barron, sharing a snicker with Ivana.—
Greg Marotta,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Many viewers were shocked when the perpetually scowling antihero met an untimely demise in the final season.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
20 Jan. 2025
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The lobby, with its collection of elevators, scowling security guards and small glass turnstiles, is cold and anodyne.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The tribal leader sniggers; a trade with foreign infidels is inconceivable.—
Bing West,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Sep. 2011
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This offbeat comedy, which originally ran from 2007-10, thrives on less explicit social tensions: sniggers behind the back and raised eyebrows at the dinner table.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
26 Dec. 2019
Verb
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These answers all describe an action that might be frowned upon.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
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Some may frown upon these metaphors, but the reality is that business is, to some extent, a dog-eat-dog competition.—
Zain Jaffer,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near smirk
Cite this Entry
“Smirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirk. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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