scowl 1 of 2

as in grimace
a twisting of the facial features in disgust or disapproval the man across the street never seems to wear anything but a scowl

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scowl

2 of 2

verb

as in to glare
to look with anger or disapproval scowled down at the misbehaving child

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scowl
Noun
Unlike a regular low-budget diner, sitting at an empty booth gave you scowls and little or no service. Ana Gutierrez, Austin American-Statesman, 31 Oct. 2024 The New Orleans rapper was shirtless in both photos, sporting an incredulous expression in the first and an angry scowl in the second. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 11 Sep. 2024
Verb
Dali wore a black puffer jacket with a gold zipper at her arraignment in Brooklyn Federal Court, scowling at collected media in the gallery and repeatedly whispering to her lawyer, Michael Schneider, of the Federal Defenders. John Annese, New York Daily News, 5 Dec. 2024 As the music gathered momentum, the camera raced through the crowd of scowling dancers until, finally, Rihanna appeared. Coralie Kraft, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scowl 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scowl
Noun
  • Associated with such grimaces were very fast upward swinging movements of the arms and alternate bending and straightening of each leg such that the right foot especially would stamp against the ground.
    Caitlyn Murphy, Hazlitt, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Muscles bulging and soaked in sweat, his face is etched in a grimace of extreme exertion.
    Sarah Shephard, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Their offense had but one glaring issue: free throws. KU shot 17-for-30 (56.7%) from the free throw line.
    Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2025
  • This question will never be answered, as Twohy attempts to use Delores’ cabbage-smuggling and Declan’s can-fix-anything attitude to highlight the glaring differences in their personalities.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The old woman, though, stares at the screen, the shadow of a smile curled into her lips and a frown barely creasing her forehead.
    Matthew Bremner, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025
  • Jean-Baptiste, her mouth set in a tight-lipped frown, her eyes ablaze with fear and loathing, soft-pedals nothing.
    Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The clip ended with Dwayne staring at the camera frowning.
    Escher Walcott, People.com, 19 Jan. 2025
  • For better or worse, Summers is staring at a largely blank slate.
    Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scowl. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

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