How to Use quizzical in a Sentence

quizzical

adjective
  • He gave me a quizzical look.
  • She raised a quizzical eyebrow when she saw what he was wearing.
  • There was a quizzical expression on his face.
  • Richard froze and gave me a look, startled and quizzical at the same time.
    Douglas G Adler, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2015
  • As the man edged away, John turned back to Goresh and shot him a quizzical look.
    Kenneth Womack, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2020
  • Birch, in shorts and a T-shirt, listened with a quizzical frown.
    Nick Romeo, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2023
  • There’s Frankenstein with an afro, bolts in his neck and a quizzical look.
    oregonlive, 6 Feb. 2020
  • Mehta doesn’t say anything and just gives me a quizzical smile.
    Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2023
  • His sister glanced at the clock — 20 past midnight — and shot him a quizzical look.
    Debra McKinney, Alaska Dispatch News, 19 June 2017
  • Jordan has a quizzical look on his face with his palms raised toward the sky.
    oregonlive, 3 Aug. 2021
  • Mention it in the United States and the usual response is a quizzical shrug.
    Sigrid MacRae, Harper's Magazine, 16 Mar. 2021
  • Then, in a split second, the music and their expressions change to quizzical.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2019
  • Some viewed him with a quizzical brow — a fair response given the treachery of dating.
    Reina Abrevaya, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2022
  • Plus, Field says, the #MeToo movement prompted lots of people to raise a quizzical eyebrow at hugs in the workplace.
    Washington Post, 15 May 2021
  • Jane saunters back and forth, bobbing up and down, and gives guests a quizzical, skeptical look.
    Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
  • Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez fielded the ball, took a quizzical look at it and threw it to first.
    Tim Bannon, chicagotribune.com, 16 July 2019
  • In Tustin, the burrito was gathering its share of quizzical looks on the faces of the mostly younger customers who were willing to try it.
    Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY, 16 Aug. 2017
  • Send her back!’’ chants drew blank stares and quizzical looks from people sitting in the shade in downtown Lancaster, Pa.
    Toluse Olorunnipa, BostonGlobe.com, 18 July 2019
  • As in the comedies of Jacques Tati, quizzical mischief warms up a cold environment.
    Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022
  • Our favorites would have to be what looks like a quizzical gremlin (Wiseman) and the creature shooting stars out of its gullet (Seal).
    Jakob Schiller, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2013
  • Those kids will listen to your stories about the travails of being driven to school and look at you with a quizzical expression.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 8 May 2021
  • The Clippers looked for teammates to hug, for the scoreboard to double-check that the final score of 87-85 was real, for friends and family in the stands to exchange quizzical glances.
    Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2022
  • The plot snakes along, full of double-crosses and blind alleys, quizzical looks and long stares at security footage.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 30 Nov. 2022
  • After McGee gave him a quizzical look, Torres suggested that Knight take the desk instead.
    Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, 3 Oct. 2021
  • The woman across the aisle gave Rosalie a look: quizzical, if not entirely unfriendly.
    Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2023
  • Prince William held the hands of both is other children as Princess Charlotte looked slightly quizzical at the Archbishop who bent down to welcome her.
    Erin Hill, PEOPLE.com, 9 July 2018
  • But in many academic fields, the technology is still greeted with shrugs and quizzical looks.
    Elizabeth Gibney, Scientific American, 28 May 2018
  • Marquette point guard Emmery Joseph has grown accustomed to the quizzical looks some opponents tend to give her on the basketball court.
    John O'Malley, Post-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2018
  • The standard response was a quizzical, dumbfounded look.
    Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2022
  • Novak’s other works approach the world with the same quizzical stance toward traditional mores.
    Ashley Fetters Maloy, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quizzical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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