GRINNED Synonyms: 16 Similar and Opposite Words

grinned

verb

past tense of grin

as in smiled

to express an emotion (as amusement) by curving the lips upward grinned at the kids' fooling around in the pool

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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 grinned Riley grinned with his team protecting an eight-point lead in front of a rowdy, record crowd of 114,419 decked in all white at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night. — Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 In photos obtained by the Daily Mail, the singer could be seen smiling in the back seat of an SUV while her soccer player boyfriend of two years grinned from the front seat. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 28 Sep. 2026 Kulich missed most of last season with a blood clot issue, but Mrtka grinned when asked how Kulich looked this summer. — Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 In one photo, the family of four posed together on the beach with Sybil sporting a playful pout while the rest of the bunch grinned. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026 In 2014, Josh Brolin appeared in Hall H, slipped on the Infinity Gauntlet, and grinned. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026 Bo grinned, staring at the pale-blue walls of the large classroom. — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026 But the real star of her segment were her adorable backup dancers, the Ugandan dance troupe Ghetto Kids, who grinned throughout the number. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 19 July 2026 Rabbi Eli Schlanger leaned back in his chair, sighed and grinned like a kid. — John Blake, CNN Money, 5 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grinned

Verb

The Boston Blue star literally leaned into the moment, laying his head on Osmond’s shoulder as the two men smiled and soaked up the rapturous screams from the audience.

— Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Lock smiled in surprise, then tried, unsuccessfully, to hide his next emotion.

— Sam McDowell October 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of smiled

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grinds (out)

grinned

grinning

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“Grinned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grinned. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of grinned

verb

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