How to use grin in a sentence

40 example sentences · noun, verb

Grin means a smile in which the lips are parted to reveal the teeth. Example: “Why do you grin? Did I say something funny?”

Examples of grin by meaning

nounA smile in which the lips are parted to reveal the teeth.

When the ceremony was finished a wide grin broke across his face, and it was that grin she saw, relieved and happy all at once.1997, Linda Howard, Son of the Morning, Simon & Schuster, page 364
When my son appeared at the door the next day with his schoolbag on his back, the Professor broke into a wide grin and opened his arms to embrace him.2003, Yoko Ogawa, The Housekeeper and the Professor

verbTo smile, parting the lips so as to show the teeth.

Why do you grin? Did I say something funny?

verbTo express by grinning.

She grinned pleasure at his embarrassment.
"Mid-Lent, and the Enemy grins," remarked Selwyn as he started for church with Nina and the children.1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IV, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC

verbTo grin as part of producing a particular facial expression, such as a smile or sneer.

He grinned a broad smile when I told him the result.
He grinned a cruel sneer when I begged him to stop.

More sentences with grin

He fixed me with a sickly grin, and said, "I told you it wouldn't work!"From the entry fix
The jubilation she felt when she received the award kept her grinning all week.From the entry jubilation
I knew he was kidding because he flipped a grin at me.From the entry flip
The children were all wearing anticipatory grins as the cake was served.From the entry anticipatory
There was an amused grin on his face.From the entry amused
John ended the set with a beautiful serve, an ace, and could not help grinning like a Cheshire cat.From the entry grin like a Cheshire cat
I’m grinning because someone told me a joke.From the entry grinning
The woman's gleefulness was evident from her large grin.From the entry gleefulness
She was grinning a big, cartoonish grin.From the entry cartoonish
Boys will be boys, grinned Grandpa as he watched his adult son playing with the fancy train-set he had given his grandson for Christmas.From the entry boys will be boys
They made me work the Saturday of our wedding anniversary; what could I say? I just had to grin and bear it.From the entry grin and bear it
"This is where I choke the chicken," Giddy told him with a grin.2026, Gary Porter, Brave Souls, page 37. From the entry choke the chicken
All grins and tuxes at some charity smoker in a city-centre hotel.2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 129. From the entry smoker
Chester had his eye on a gnomette with a goosey grin.2022, Caren Krutsinger, “Faerie Queen of the Mushrooms”, in Hippies Mushrooms Music Sixties Seventies and Viet Nam, →ISBN. From the entry gnomette
Daniel grins, feeling the shiv skid off his newly bought chausse.2021, Tao Wong, Adventures on Brad: Books 1-6, Starlit Publishing, →ISBN. From the entry chausse
A small bone fell out first and Cody grinned, despite the grisly scene.2021, Reavis Z. Wortham, Laying Bones. From the entry coon-dick
“It's obvious you’re in love with her,” the very, un-schoolmarmish, woman grinned.2021, Danni Roan, Devin’s Desire (Tales from Biders Clumb; volume 17), →ISBN, page 66. From the entry unschoolmarmish
Victor finished his report to us with a big grin on his face.2019, Don McLean, “How to Play”, in The Game, Victoria, B.C.: FriesenPress, →ISBN, page 84. From the entry adiós
Ernest Cramer, the mayoral contender, was a chunky man with a waxish grin and heavy jowls.2018, Matt Braun, Shadow Killers and Deathwalk: Two Classic Westerns, →ISBN. From the entry waxish
In fact, as he admitted with a grin, it handcuffed him.2016 February 20, “Obituary: Antonin Scalia: Always right”, in The Economist, archived from the original on 01 Dec 2020. From the entry handcuff
His eyes ran over her sweet shapeliness disclosed by her torn garment, and he grinned.2016, Gardner F. Fox, The Second Kothar the Barbarian. From the entry wenchhood
I could almost hear the wry grins cracking their faces as the officers peacocked.2014 May 30, Will Butler, “The Mark of Cane”, in The New York Times Magazine. From the entry peacock
“Yep.” He viewed the scene with a hand shading his eyes, then grinned at Billy.2014, Eugenia Riley, Bushwhacked Bride. From the entry poke
He brandishes a can of deodorant (deo) spray as he says this, grinning all the time.2014, Damodar Mall, Supermarketwala: Secrets To Winning Consumer India. From the entry deo
She'snot got the looks for a lady's maid, nor ever will, I vow.” She grinned at Elizabeth.2014, Judith E. French, Lovestorm. From the entry fluttersome
Carmen gave her a toothy grin and binked her on the nose with a forefinger.2014, Hannah Alexander, Collateral Damage, page 188. From the entry bink
As I watched, Stephen glanced over at him, and Zach gave Stephen a big cheese-eating grin.2014, A. Destiny, Emma Carlson Berne, Sunset Ranch. From the entry cheese-eating
“Can you hit a hundo?” Dad said, grinning. ¶ “I don't know,” Eddie said.2013, Eric Stevens, The Classic: ’69 Chevy Camaro, Minneapolis: Darby Creek Publishing, →ISBN, page 51. From the entry hundo
"How, exactly, would that work?" ¶ Mavis shrugged, grinned right back at him.2013, Carsten Stroud, The Homecoming, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 301. From the entry take
His hair is combed tightly to a pigtail and he grins at me unshavenly.2013, Petra Mettke, Karin Mettke-Schröder, Michael, volume 1, page 208. From the entry unshavenly
The werecrocodile laughed at him, the feral grin of a predator displaying nightmarish fangs.2012, Ilona Andrews, “Retribution Clause”, in P. N. Elrod, editor, Hex Appeal, St. Martin's Press, →ISBN, page 32. From the entry werecrocodile
Over eight years makes you a Cougar,” Regina said wisely, grinning as Lauren nodded excitedly in agreement.2011, Donna McDonald, Dating A Cougar, →ISBN. From the entry puma
And at his anguish, I just smiled a grin of mastery.2011, Felix Hagan, “Vengeance On My Mind”, in Dawn Breaks, the Monster Wakes.... From the entry revile

Meaning of grin

noun A smile in which the lips are parted to reveal the teeth.
verb To smile, parting the lips so as to show the teeth.
verb To express by grinning.

Full definition of grin

Questions about grin in a sentence

How do you use grin in a sentence?: Grin is used as a noun and verb. For example: “Why do you grin? Did I say something funny?”
What is a short sentence with grin?: “She grinned pleasure at his embarrassment.”
What does grin mean?: Grin means a smile in which the lips are parted to reveal the teeth.

Adapted from Wiktionary: grin (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “How to use grin in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/grin. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.