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.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of smirk
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 27 May 2025
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
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 June 2025
Asked by a reporter if his agitation Wednesday was heightened or more of his natural demeanor, Johnson smirked.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Verb
The Plague is exquisitely cast, from the Nickelodeon star smirk of ringleader Jake (Kayo Martin) to his cohen target Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), a genuine oddball.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 27 May 2025
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
Noun
As the ambassador gets very worked up and Napoleon silently smirks, Antonin sets the pyramid on fire.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 June 2025
Asked by a reporter if his agitation Wednesday was heightened or more of his natural demeanor, Johnson smirked.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for smirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirk
Noun
-
Up front, its face is a far more rectilinear sneer.—
Brett Berk,
Robb Report,
8 July 2025
-
Yungblud’s voice — a piercing yelp that exists somewhere between Gerard Way’s wail and Brian Molko’s sneer — slotted him in the alt-rock world, but his aspirations seemed to stretch far beyond that categorization.—
Maura Johnston,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
The carnage leads to a sigh of an epilogue that seems, without giving anything away, like a curious letdown, a cruel little snicker from Aster that doesn’t entirely satisfy.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
15 July 2025
-
League sources stifle their snickers in public while privately marveling at the owner’s ceaseless stupidity. 3.—
Jeff Howe,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The exhibit became the main discussion topic amongst his peers and Claude, scowling and sour about missing it, chewed his lower lip waiting patiently for the subject to change.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
18 June 2025
-
In the meantime, Claude scrutinized the room, alternately winking and scowling at the residents and care workers within eyeshot before diligently watching the door.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Each time an audience member so much as sniggers or sneezes, money is docked from a prize pot of £250,000 ($330,000), the slightest noise costing them up to £10,000 ($13,000) each time.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
2 May 2025
-
The tribal leader sniggers; a trade with foreign infidels is inconceivable.—
Bing West,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Sep. 2011
Verb
-
All the while, McNeeley was never caught frowning, crying.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
26 June 2025
-
With a portrait of Queen Victoria watching over him, a 75-year-old man frowned at a pint of something unfamiliar.—
Tania Ganguli,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirk. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share