grinned; grinning
: to draw back the lips so as to show the teeth especially in amusement or laughter
grinner
noun
plural grins
: a facial expression produced by grinning especially in pleasure or amusement
a happy grin
She grew into a nimble young girl of seven winters, a thoughtful girl with shining brown eyes and a wide grin …—
Louise Erdrich
Louise ErdrichI wanted to wipe the grin off his face [=make him stop smiling.]
Examples of grin in a Sentence
Verb
She continued to tease her brother, grinning wickedly.
grinned at the kids' fooling around in the pool
Recent Examples on the Web
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
As Frank, De Niro is all genial shrugs and winces, chattering in a recognizable lower register and grinning his classic jowly grin.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Tall and lean, with bright eyes and a mischievous grin that recalled Peter O’Toole in one of his friskier moods, DePlume switched positions to lie on his back on the mat, beneath a partner.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grin
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Verb
Part of the reason Democrats are grinning a bit is that Patronis's opponent, Gay Valimont, who was trounced by 32% last fall, has raised an impressive $6.4 million since January, accord to federal campaign finance records.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
As Frank, De Niro is all genial shrugs and winces, chattering in a recognizable lower register and grinning his classic jowly grin.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
He’s beloved in the math and science wing, a big guy with a grin and graying hair who peppers lessons on polynomial functions with corny jokes.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Tall and lean, with bright eyes and a mischievous grin that recalled Peter O’Toole in one of his friskier moods, DePlume switched positions to lie on his back on the mat, beneath a partner.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grin
Cite this Entry
“Grin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grin. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
grin
verb
grinned; grinning
: to draw back the lips so as to show the teeth especially in laughter
grin
noun
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