as in grimace
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval
the man across the street never seems to wear anything but a scowl
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scowl
John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025
Rossini has replaced disdain with dedication and swapped out scowls for smiles.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
Caroline Framke, Vulture, 22 May 2025
Editors’ Picks Fired Federal Worker Flirts on Finch Mr. Trump scowled when one of Mr. Ramaphosa’s aides, a Black woman, tried to explain that brutal crimes in general are a problem in South Africa.
—Zolan Kanno-Youngs, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Noun
The most unforgettable image for me was Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, who looked on intently as the bishop spoke, ignoring her husband’s angry scowl.
—John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2025
Rossini has replaced disdain with dedication and swapped out scowls for smiles.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
Verb
Smash-cut to: a scowling woman leaving a police station in a black minidress and the telltale thick eyeliner smudge of A Woman Who Doesn’t Have Her Life Together.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 22 May 2025
Editors’ Picks Fired Federal Worker Flirts on Finch Mr. Trump scowled when one of Mr. Ramaphosa’s aides, a Black woman, tried to explain that brutal crimes in general are a problem in South Africa.
—Zolan Kanno-Youngs, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scowl
Noun
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Even though the couple filmed the skit after class to be respectful of the other participants, the sweat and grimaces weren’t just for show.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
9 June 2025
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At one point, Hunt emerges onto London’s Trafalgar Square and grimaces at the sight of a massive protest.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 May 2025
Verb
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The New York Yankees dropped their series against the first-place Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday and the need for some upgrades at the trade deadline is glaring.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
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The disparity is especially glaring in the fashion industry, where women drive the vast majority of consumer spending yet are rarely in control of the capital or the chief leadership roles that shape the industry.—
Angela Chan-Danisi,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
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The muscles around his eyes darted inward, and a frown overtook his face.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
-
Beantown frowns at each breaking news sounder on talk radio or ESPN insider post on social media.—
Bill Speros,
Boston Herald,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Bryan stopped singing the chorus for a second and stared into the crowd before carrying on with the 2011 song, handling the slight interruption like a pro. Fans responded to the incident online.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
30 July 2025
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That meant the audience stared, entranced, at a stage filled with string musicians and an upright bass player, with drummer Brian Chase in the back and guitarist Nick Zinner mostly playing acoustic instruments.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scowl. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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