1
as in grins
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in laughs
to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions
smiled at their ridiculous antics and walked away in disgust
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smiles
Adam Beam, AJC.com, 30 Apr. 2026
The family smiles while dressed casually and barefoot, squinting from the sun's rays.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Emily Blunt is all smiles backstage before her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in New York City on April 28.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Megan, meanwhile, gets increasingly emotional, turns away from the audience to wipe her tears, then pulls herself together and smiles so that the show can go on and everybody else can bow as well.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Prince Louis was all sunshine, smiles and charm in his portrait for his eighth birthday.
—Brie Stimson , Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Endorsement watch Attorney General Chris Carr (right) smiles with his wife, Joan Carr, after casting his vote during the first day of early voting Monday for Georgia's primary elections.
—Adam Beam, AJC.com, 30 Apr. 2026
The family smiles while dressed casually and barefoot, squinting from the sun's rays.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Emily Blunt is all smiles backstage before her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in New York City on April 28.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Megan, meanwhile, gets increasingly emotional, turns away from the audience to wipe her tears, then pulls herself together and smiles so that the show can go on and everybody else can bow as well.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Prince Louis was all sunshine, smiles and charm in his portrait for his eighth birthday.
—Brie Stimson , Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smiles
Verb
-
Wells, hidden in a tiny video-village setup inside one of the set’s curtained exam rooms, grins at the monitor and turns around to give Einesman a thumbs-up.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Adam Brody grins from ear to ear while supporting Nobody Wants This at the 2026 PaleyFest in Los Angeles on April 8.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One can see why wrestling appealed to him—the crowd is everything, the rules mean nothing, and the referees are so feckless that they often get knocked out and everyone laughs.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In one snap, the foursome laughs as Crown Prince Christian pretends to grab his younger brother's neck.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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
-
Those surrounding the bride stood up and began clapping, their frowns shifting to wide smiles.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
And yet, the wry grimaces that followed said the quiet part out loud.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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In the video, Claffey tries to move Ansell away from the subject and grimaces at the camera when his costar seems to say a little too much.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smiles. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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