as in to frown
to distort one's face
playgoers grimaced at the actor's terrible attempt at a French accent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scowl
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval
he made a grimace when he tasted the medicine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grimace
Philip Elliott, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
Amanda Seyfried’s face contorts into a grimace.
—Esther Zuckerman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2025
By cross-referencing these expressions against the grimace scales researchers have already created, the AI can look for telltale signs of pain or distress.
—science.org, 13 Feb. 2025
Where there was once a wistful Mona Lisa-style facial expression — lips parted enough to suggest a smile or a grimace, depending on perspective — now there is no room for interpretation.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grimace
Noun
Monday’s developments were greeted with grimace around town.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
Amanda Seyfried’s face contorts into a grimace.
—Esther Zuckerman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2025
By cross-referencing these expressions against the grimace scales researchers have already created, the AI can look for telltale signs of pain or distress.
—science.org, 13 Feb. 2025
Where there was once a wistful Mona Lisa-style facial expression — lips parted enough to suggest a smile or a grimace, depending on perspective — now there is no room for interpretation.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grimace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grimace
Verb
-
Because of that history, Mrs. Kirkland frowns upon the Scotts, particularly Peggy’s father Arthur (John Douglas Thompson) who was once enslaved.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
20 July 2025
-
While bringing flowers in a vase will never be frowned upon, showing up sans vase won't be either!—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
Serve up in a stemmed glass, and garnish with a scowl, or perhaps a war story.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
11 July 2025
-
Balthazar, played in a hipster fade and with a puppy-dog scowl by Jaeden Martell, is a New York rich kid with a life coach and a divorced mother (Jennifer Ehle) who’s too busy throwing political cocktail parties to pay him much attention.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
10 June 2025
Verb
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It’s described as a long, blank and expressionless stare in a variety of social situations.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
Vortex Media has all rights in Canada to the film staring Maren Heary (She Said), Jim Kaplan (The Holdovers), Karsen Liotta (Black Bird), Dominic Bogart (Fear The Walking Dead), Emily Hall (Wrong Numbers) and Tenley Kellogg.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
The kind guard in the lobby and my mother’s terrible, open mouth.—
Rebecca Chace
July 14,
Literary Hub,
14 July 2025
-
Vásquez Lasso hit Montano in the mouth area, and Montano shot the officer in the head, arm and leg as children and others in a nearby playground took cover.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
In the 2000 Loser, Jason Biggs plays Paul, a sweet but unhip Midwestern kid who gets a scholarship to NYU, only to be met with the sneering savagery of his rich-kid roommates.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 July 2025
-
There may have been a temptation to overcompensate, to cackle and sneer in order to force the focus back onto herself.—
Lizzie Logan,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
There was an expression on his face, something between a smile and a smirk.—
Mona Awad,
New Yorker,
20 July 2025
-
Liam McNeeley’s eyes widened, preceding a devilish smirk.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grimace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grimace. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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