as in laughing
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
they brushed off his sneer and went about their business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sneering
In character as a free spirit who scorns social convention, Davis is all haughty tosses of the head and sneering lines.
—
Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
Chalamet, whose grandmother, mother, and sister all performed with the New York City Ballet, is not sneering at the artists.
—Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
That lack of an official accounting encouraged a willful amnesia about the regime’s crimes and, Mendonça Filho has argued, led directly to the 2018 election of Jair Bolsonaro, who ran on a platform of sneering nostalgia for the era of military rule.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Impossibly cool at 60 years old, Reznor is all swagger, with his soaring, sneering vocals sounding as strong as his first decade recording.
—William Earl, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Where is the patriotism in sneering at America’s great achievements?
—Emilie G.c. Thompson, STAT, 15 Jan. 2026
Even the epithets for the Kansas City Chiefs are built on divisional rivalry and that team’s long track record of success, not sneering dismissiveness.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
Pluribus, despite its own existence as a piece of populist fiction, depicts all the readers of Carol’s Wycaro books from the perspective of her sneering disdain.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
Democrats gathered for a conference hosted by progressives were sneering at Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who was not present, for shutting down popular new faces based on disagreements over specific issues.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
Chalamet, whose grandmother, mother, and sister all performed with the New York City Ballet, is not sneering at the artists.
—Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
That lack of an official accounting encouraged a willful amnesia about the regime’s crimes and, Mendonça Filho has argued, led directly to the 2018 election of Jair Bolsonaro, who ran on a platform of sneering nostalgia for the era of military rule.
—Michael Snyder, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Impossibly cool at 60 years old, Reznor is all swagger, with his soaring, sneering vocals sounding as strong as his first decade recording.
—William Earl, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Where is the patriotism in sneering at America’s great achievements?
—Emilie G.c. Thompson, STAT, 15 Jan. 2026
Even the epithets for the Kansas City Chiefs are built on divisional rivalry and that team’s long track record of success, not sneering dismissiveness.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
Pluribus, despite its own existence as a piece of populist fiction, depicts all the readers of Carol’s Wycaro books from the perspective of her sneering disdain.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
Democrats gathered for a conference hosted by progressives were sneering at Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who was not present, for shutting down popular new faces based on disagreements over specific issues.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sneering
Verb
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Jamaica born About a hundred people gathered to lay Wilson to rest, singing, crying and laughing while remembering his kind heart, his hard work and his famous barbecue ribs and chicken wings.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Airline customers aren’t laughing, at least right now.—
John Seewer,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At several points during Michael’s courtroom remarks, Gillow was seen shaking her head in disagreement, even smiling.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026
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All words used by smiling Warriors coaches and players to describe Stephen Curry.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sneering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sneering. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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