SMILED Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

smiled

verb

past tense of smile

as in grinned

to express an emotion (as amusement) by curving the lips upward the soldier smiled in pleasure when he saw the giant sign welcoming him home

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in laughed

to express scornful amusement by means of facial contortions smiled at their ridiculous antics and walked away in disgust

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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 smiled In the first photo, the couple smiled while wearing sunglasses and spending time on the water. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 After the hearing, Burke smiled and shook hands with Berk and Peter. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026 In September, the parliamentary speaker pledged to pay the bride price whenever Oyo determined to get married, to which the king in his throne smiled. — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Before Thursday’s hearing began, Schaefer, dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit and shackled at the ankles, smiled broadly and blew a kiss to his mother, Kia Walker, seated in the courtroom gallery. — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026 Even Sirianni smiled when a reporter referenced the line after the game. — Zach Berman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 When the video ended, a camera panned to Devers, who smiled and waved to his former fanbase. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026 In video clips shared online, Zgraggen smiled at the camera and described walking to a beach during the observance. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 The mother and son smiled as Sidney wrapped his arm around her neck. — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smiled

Verb

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

Definition of grinned

Verb

The three laughed, but an hour later, Dixon shot Duncan in the bathroom, Houghton County prosecutors later said.

— KC Baker, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
The Red Sox took the 2004 World Series using Oakland’s playbook, and within a decade the analysts the scouts once laughed at ran every front office in baseball.

— John E. Harrison, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of laughed

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smile

smiled

smiles

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“Smiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smiled. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of smiled

verb

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