as in laughing
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1
as in grinning
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sneering
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 smiling
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 14 May 2026
There was a lot of nervous smiling.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Umanmielen responded with a GIF of a smiling, but famously blind, Stevie Wonder.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Cooper is smiling with one hand resting on her baby bump.
—Francie Ebert, NBC news, 17 May 2026
Another showed the James Bond alum smiling while sitting on a beach with the ocean behind him.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Shipp asked, smiling and nodding slowly.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 15 May 2026
And Maid of Honour has a photo of Drake’s mother overlaid with a photo of Drake smiling with his son, Adonis.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Tabakis lightly strums and plucks over a glowing drone and chattering birds, offering an ecumenical introduction, a smiling welcome.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 14 May 2026
His lead Huppert, sporting a dramatic bright-red gown, stood beside him but remained politely smiling during the ovation.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 14 May 2026
And for decades, billboards with Smart’s smiling face stood like sentinels along Highway 101, silently urging anyone with information to come forward.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Adjective
As Thomas’ parents, Katina Smith and Bobby Thomas, unveiled their son’s smiling statue in the Broncos’ Ring of Fame Plaza last Sunday, as scores of his former teammates looked on in sadness and joy, Miller was 800 miles away in Dallas, gearing up for a game against the Cowboys.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
Karen Jesch, a PhD student at Boston College’s Canine Cognition Center, points out that human smiling is a strange behavior to begin with, and not always a happy one.
—Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 14 May 2026
There was a lot of nervous smiling.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Umanmielen responded with a GIF of a smiling, but famously blind, Stevie Wonder.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
In one image from the early years, Denise and Mohamed are posing in the garden with their kids, while Djena is off to the side, smiling at the camera, in the middle of doing what looks like yard work.
—Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Cooper is smiling with one hand resting on her baby bump.
—Francie Ebert, NBC news, 17 May 2026
Another showed the James Bond alum smiling while sitting on a beach with the ocean behind him.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Shipp asked, smiling and nodding slowly.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 15 May 2026
And Maid of Honour has a photo of Drake’s mother overlaid with a photo of Drake smiling with his son, Adonis.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Tabakis lightly strums and plucks over a glowing drone and chattering birds, offering an ecumenical introduction, a smiling welcome.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 14 May 2026
His lead Huppert, sporting a dramatic bright-red gown, stood beside him but remained politely smiling during the ovation.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 14 May 2026
And for decades, billboards with Smart’s smiling face stood like sentinels along Highway 101, silently urging anyone with information to come forward.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smiling
Noun
-
Mira and two friends moved to a low wall and huddled around their own smartwatches, whispering and laughing.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Keith moved into the center of the balcony, posing and laughing.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Before the team left for Montreal, Helenius was grinning from ear to ear talking about the experience of practicing with the Sabres at this time of year.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Instead, out stepped the face of the mainstreamed hard right, grinning in light blue pants and a sports jacket.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Her amused, introspective grace juggling a vast cast of (wonderful) characters and (fascinating) relationships means the true story at the center here ends up playing second fiddle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
Obama’s staff would look less amused a few weeks later, as their boss hosted President-elect Trump at the White House.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
DeCaro often played likable, even jovial characters, a match for his own personality.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
And the two shared many jovial moments during their exchanges at the state banquet.—
Tiago Ventura,
Time,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The picture’s eclectic cast, which included Anouk Aimée, Greta Scacchi and Maximilian Schell (with cameos by Faye Dunaway, Holly Hunter and Jeff Goldblum), swirled its merry way across the grand event in search of romance, fame and the ever-elusive movie deal.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
But in the cycling ecosystem, the Rockets are still minnows, a bunch of merry men with a camera — up against teams funded by international business conglomerates and nation states.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Through gleeful anarchy, a variety of filters, and a kinetic score, the two Maries spoil themselves with sweets, outwit suitors, and desecrate the rituals of fine dining in a glorious climax of rebellion.—
Jennifer Noyes,
Air Mail,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This relic of a production, however, doesn’t feel particularly dangerous, shocking or even gleeful.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fishing boats sat docked along the pier, bouncing on top of the water like a row of jolly babies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
The neighborhood Neighboring St Moritz was adopted in the 19th century by all those jolly-hockey-stick Brits, who introduced skiing and tobogganing, but little Sils Maria has always been more cerebral.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Disrupting the possibility of cheerful solitude is both a stylistic and social shift, disturbing the film’s non-narrative serenity while depicting how dismantling the safety net displaces basic functions onto those least able to bear them.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
The care home Marie-Lou runs is a sprawling establishment, with lush, cheerful grounds.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smiling. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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