as in to frown
to distort one's face
playgoers grimaced at the actor's terrible attempt at a French accent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scowl
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval
he made a grimace when he tasted the medicine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grimace
science.org, 13 Feb. 2025
Where there was once a wistful Mona Lisa-style facial expression — lips parted enough to suggest a smile or a grimace, depending on perspective — now there is no room for interpretation.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
Muscles bulging and soaked in sweat, his face is etched in a grimace of extreme exertion.
—Sarah Shephard, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Forgetting this city was about 60% Yuppy Town, three distressed grimaces and one sly smile appeared.
—Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 1 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grimace
Noun
By cross-referencing these expressions against the grimace scales researchers have already created, the AI can look for telltale signs of pain or distress.
—science.org, 13 Feb. 2025
Where there was once a wistful Mona Lisa-style facial expression — lips parted enough to suggest a smile or a grimace, depending on perspective — now there is no room for interpretation.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
Muscles bulging and soaked in sweat, his face is etched in a grimace of extreme exertion.
—Sarah Shephard, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Forgetting this city was about 60% Yuppy Town, three distressed grimaces and one sly smile appeared.
—Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 1 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grimace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grimace
Verb
-
It’s typically frowned upon to rely on chalk in the postseason.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
12 June 2025
-
While that behavior is frowned upon in the major leagues, the catcher enables it by telegraphing the pitches too early.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
Rossini has replaced disdain with dedication and swapped out scowls for smiles.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
22 May 2025
-
That whoop-ass machine is played with a fierce scowl by MMA fighter Michelle Waterson.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In the fifth inning, the Royals were staring at another blowout loss.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2025
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Screenshots from a June 10 TikTok video of a black Lab puppy staring at his owner while at the store.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
Both clubs were founded in the same working-class neighbourhood, known as the mouth of Buenos Aires.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
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In response, the longtime reality TV star, 36, drew her hand to her mouth and started to cry.—
Chris Jordan,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Written with the sneering disaffection of an ex-believer, the hundred-and-twenty-thousand-word letter argued that egalitarianism, far from improving the world, was actually responsible for most of its ills.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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Often sneered at and dismissed early in his career due to his good looks, Hartnett takes over this action flight manual and, well, soars to new heights.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 May 2025
Noun
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But watching a group of roughnecks on a rig in grubby overalls moving huge, long steel pipes, Dugan's smile begins to fade to a smirk.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Grimace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grimace. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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