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Recent Examples of rictus
Distorted and exaggerated by Weegee’s hand—with grins set in a chilling rictus, or eyes and noses spread wide and pancaked—these idols became monsters.
—
Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2025
The entire final sequence, which sees Carter, with a rictus grin, slaughtering his wife in the kitchen, envisions the self-destruction of the nuclear family.
—Beatrice Loayza, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
When Martin dies in class after getting frightened in a dream, the sheet is accidentally pulled off of his gurney to reveal his death rictus.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
McAvoy’s gift for a rictus grin and a swaggering machismo that eases you into feeling comfortable, only to twist on a 180 into pure psychopathy, is well-played here.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
In its promos and trailers, Neon has deftly concealed what Cage’s character — a basement dweller who lives for the devil and has stringy, white hair and a rictus grin — actually looks like.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 July 2024
These include a chocolate-brown safe about five feet tall that reveals itself to be full of bobbleheads, the tottering rictus of Suns-era Stephon Marbury peering out at me from the dark.
—Giri Nathan, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024
Coverage of his personal appearances focused on his obvious discomfort in meeting with strangers and his fruitless efforts to laugh or even crack a smile, which tended to produce only a hideous facial rictus.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024
Portman and Moore don’t look like average women but resemble drag queens specializing in stealthy passion and uneasy self-control — one a professional parasite and the other a pathetic sociopath, each fronting rictus grins.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2024
Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2025
The entire final sequence, which sees Carter, with a rictus grin, slaughtering his wife in the kitchen, envisions the self-destruction of the nuclear family.
—Beatrice Loayza, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
When Martin dies in class after getting frightened in a dream, the sheet is accidentally pulled off of his gurney to reveal his death rictus.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
McAvoy’s gift for a rictus grin and a swaggering machismo that eases you into feeling comfortable, only to twist on a 180 into pure psychopathy, is well-played here.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
In its promos and trailers, Neon has deftly concealed what Cage’s character — a basement dweller who lives for the devil and has stringy, white hair and a rictus grin — actually looks like.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 July 2024
These include a chocolate-brown safe about five feet tall that reveals itself to be full of bobbleheads, the tottering rictus of Suns-era Stephon Marbury peering out at me from the dark.
—Giri Nathan, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024
Coverage of his personal appearances focused on his obvious discomfort in meeting with strangers and his fruitless efforts to laugh or even crack a smile, which tended to produce only a hideous facial rictus.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024
Portman and Moore don’t look like average women but resemble drag queens specializing in stealthy passion and uneasy self-control — one a professional parasite and the other a pathetic sociopath, each fronting rictus grins.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rictus
Noun
-
These terms are often tossed around with a smirk, used to describe parents who hover over every detail of their children’s lives—ensuring every problem is fixed, every obstacle removed.—
Marvin Krislov,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
-
The fifth season of Hulu’s hit dystopian series had began with the smirk seen ’round the globe that pit June Osborne (Moss) against Serena Joy Waterford (Strahovski).—
Jackie Strause,
The Hollywood Reporter,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This improvement to sound also makes the restrained snarl of Naked Snake’s voice have an even better bite.—
Ashley Bardhan,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2025
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In its wake, the storm, which pummeled a swath of the country from Kansas and Missouri to Virginia and New Jersey, has left tens of thousands in the U.S. without power, caused traffic snarls and forced closures of schools and businesses.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Shows like this often get labeled as comfort food, which is sometimes delivered with a sneer.—
Brian Grubb,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Ruby’s face hardened, her lips twisting into a sneer.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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However, what started as a few hisses and strange growls quickly turned into a shocking discovery.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
The Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2025
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This fly-on-the-wall music documentary covers it all, from Cyndi Lauper's wail to Bruce Springsteen's growl to the fact that poor Huey Lewis had to follow Michael Jackson.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
EW.com,
11 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Sandoval, in comparison, sneers and simpers to no success whatsoever; his bad behavior, on and off The Traitors, yields nothing.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2025
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Today’s announcement marks the emergence of a new GE, a high-tech industrial GE — simper, stronger, a more focused company at the core.—
Jon Chesto,
BostonGlobe.com,
26 June 2018
Cite this Entry
“Rictus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rictus. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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