as in frown
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
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Laura Dern’s scowl is one of the great wonders of American movies.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
And Cignetti has coached this team up, scowling from the sidelines, all the way to the championship game.
—Keith O’Brien, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Noun
One of the series’ most creative elements is the variety of scowls Graham deploys while arguing with Hezekiah, Mary, or his younger brother, Treacle (James Nelson-Joyce), a pragmatic family man who represents everything Sugar’s life could have been if he weren’t filled with so much self-loathing.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Laura Dern’s scowl is one of the great wonders of American movies.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
Grejo sank scowling back into his chair as though stung by Adi’s answer.
—Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
And Cignetti has coached this team up, scowling from the sidelines, all the way to the championship game.
—Keith O’Brien, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scowl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scowl
Noun
-
Greg’s smile, contrasted with the frowns and thumbs-down from the rest of the crew, makes for an entertaining visual.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Carpenter responded with a quizzical frown.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Remaining needs There are no glaring needs for the Broncos.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
There is usually a glaring sign.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And Ahmed, with his fearful eyes and tense grimace, makes for a compellingly sad and isolated figure.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Charlie Lindgren’s grimace was evident behind his mask.—
Bailey Johnson,
Washington Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For a few seconds, everyone at Progressive Field — players, umpires, fans, cotton candy vendors — stared at the video board, awaiting the handy diagram that would determine whether the Cleveland Guardians’ lead was in jeopardy.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The couple sat in a vestibule inside the Aurora immigration detention facility on a Saturday in March, staring at each other through the glass barrier separating the incarcerated from the free.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For her part, the first lady nearly managed a smirk.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In those heady decades of postmodern language-play and seductive irresolution, claims for literature as a force for truth and justice would likely be dismissed, with a smirk, as humanist pieties.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scowl. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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