How to Use smug in a Sentence

smug

adjective
  • You can wipe that smug look off your face.
  • It's OK to celebrate your success, but try not to be too smug about it.
  • And frankly, that sort of thing now feels more than a bit smug.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024
  • But that poem is no smug cliché.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
  • And now those smug b-holes have to lick your nuts like the rest of us do.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 14 May 2024
  • Some shrugged at the heat wave; others were a bit smug about it.
    — Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2024
  • China has even more reason to be smug.
    — Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
  • My math teachers of old are very smug somewhere.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The Edgars are thrilled — and a bit smug — about his success.
    — Nora McGreevy, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Aug. 2019
  • Just so smug and elitist and short-sighted.
    — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Does not change the fact the Oli is way in over his head and too smug for his own good.
    — Katie Woo, The Athletic, 2 Aug. 2024
  • The smug tone of the mock news conference added to the outrage.
    — New York Times, 8 Dec. 2021
  • The thing about the smug is that their karma can sometimes be sudden.
    — latimes.com, 12 July 2019
  • Meanwhile, the smug parishioners despise the poor folks around their fine church.
    — Celia Storey, Arkansas Online, 24 May 2021
  • This movie seems proud, even smug, about recycling scraps from other fairy tales.
    — Kyle Smith, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023
  • But the Internet was quick to point out that the photo was smug.
    — miamiherald, 13 Sep. 2017
  • Those of us with a foot in both continents are not so much smug as heartbroken.
    — Kate Maltby, CNN, 10 May 2017
  • Few exchanges are that obvious, but most are that smug and tiresome.
    — Brian Seibert, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2020
  • And then there's that shot of Littlefinger looking all smug and smirky.
    — Scott Meslow, GQ, 21 June 2017
  • The smug and sanctimonious tenor of their briefing makes that plain.
    — Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
  • The camera cuts to Nana proudly toting a weapon the size of her body, a smug look on her face.
    — Laura Zornosa, Time, 18 Aug. 2023
  • The couple shared a social class and a smug distrust of anyone outside it.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
  • The tabloids reported on it with a mix of smug derision and hollow lament.
    — Josie Duffy Rice, The Atlantic, 12 July 2018
  • Just look at how smug her face is front row with the McStablishment.
    — Rafi Schwartz, The Week, 6 Jan. 2023
  • Irina’s silent, extremely smug face during all of this.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 1 May 2026
  • Sorry to be so smug, but the Celtics had no business losing a game in this series.
    — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Apr. 2023
  • Asked about that prediction now, Lara has plenty of reason to feel smug.
    — Mike Guardabascio, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 2017
  • The modern-day version of this conundrum is why smug Robert from sales got the job and not you.
    — Sarah Todd, Quartz, 15 Oct. 2021
  • Uthaug steers clear of smug self-awareness and instead delivers one of the freshest takes on the genre in years.
    — Matt Kamen, WIRED, 6 July 2024
  • But this isn’t the time to be smug toward those who derided them, Sutton and others said.
    — Jonathan Bullington, The Courier-Journal, 27 Mar. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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