as in grimace
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval
a moue of distaste at the display of bad manners
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Recent Examples of moue
In her trademark cat-eye glasses, with her bitter-lemon moue, Hoffman, as Moth, is comedy just standing there; Harada, as Mustardseed, a warmth machine.
—
New York Times, 24 Oct. 2021
Not just any moue, either, but a supermoue—a whole cultural attitude distilled into a single boffff.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2020
Pennywise, who sometimes takes the form of a giant spider-like monster, and whose pouty moue can suddenly sprout rows of sharp, brownish fangs, both feeds and feeds upon ordinary human viciousness.
—New York Times, 3 Sep. 2019
New York Times, 24 Oct. 2021
Not just any moue, either, but a supermoue—a whole cultural attitude distilled into a single boffff.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2020
Pennywise, who sometimes takes the form of a giant spider-like monster, and whose pouty moue can suddenly sprout rows of sharp, brownish fangs, both feeds and feeds upon ordinary human viciousness.
—New York Times, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moue
Noun
-
Even though the couple filmed the skit after class to be respectful of the other participants, the sweat and grimaces weren’t just for show.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
9 June 2025
-
At one point, Hunt emerges onto London’s Trafalgar Square and grimaces at the sight of a massive protest.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 May 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
Noun
-
The muscles around his eyes darted inward, and a frown overtook his face.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
-
Beantown frowns at each breaking news sounder on talk radio or ESPN insider post on social media.—
Bill Speros,
Boston Herald,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
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
-
The kind guard in the lobby and my mother’s terrible, open mouth.—
Rebecca Chace
July 14,
Literary Hub,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Apply this Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask at the beginning of your flight, and your pout will be hydrated from takeoff to touchdown.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
10 July 2025
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Which makes the Bills a playoff automatic — unless Josh Allen sits home and pouts.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moue. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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