as in smiling
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as in laughing
to express an emotion (as amusement) by curving the lips upward
grinned at the kids' fooling around in the pool
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Recent Examples of grinning
Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
Vince watched on a monitor, grinning.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Before Madonna descended back into the floor, the two shared a hug, leaving Carpenter grinning from ear to ear.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026
As his mother cried tears of joy and his famous grandfather couldn’t stop grinning, 23-year-old Ty Gibbs won his first NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway in an overtime finish.
—Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Davidssen was skipping, beaming, grinning from ear-to-ear.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 3 Apr. 2026
After spotting the grinning giant in Texas, Ralph Potter paid $1,600 to have the statue shipped in four pieces to the 16th Street shop.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 25 Mar. 2026
The footage also showed a man on the ground in handcuffs who appeared to be grinning, the outlet reported.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The behemoth roadside spectacle also welcomes travelers with dozens of gas pumps, a grinning beaver mascot, and a country-store-feeling home section stocked with over-the-top souvenirs.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
By then, Jeff had transformed into a supersmooth, grinning Willy Wonka.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
Vince watched on a monitor, grinning.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Before Madonna descended back into the floor, the two shared a hug, leaving Carpenter grinning from ear to ear.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026
As his mother cried tears of joy and his famous grandfather couldn’t stop grinning, 23-year-old Ty Gibbs won his first NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway in an overtime finish.
—Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Davidssen was skipping, beaming, grinning from ear-to-ear.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 3 Apr. 2026
After spotting the grinning giant in Texas, Ralph Potter paid $1,600 to have the statue shipped in four pieces to the 16th Street shop.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 25 Mar. 2026
The footage also showed a man on the ground in handcuffs who appeared to be grinning, the outlet reported.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The behemoth roadside spectacle also welcomes travelers with dozens of gas pumps, a grinning beaver mascot, and a country-store-feeling home section stocked with over-the-top souvenirs.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinning
Adjective
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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
Verb
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Members of both chambers seemed to enjoy his 20-minute address, listening intently and laughing at the monarch’s jokes and giving him standing ovations.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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Lucy Liu is spotted laughing on the set of Superfakes in Madison Square Park in New York City on April 27.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinning. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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