frown

Making "Year of the Horse" stuffed toys in a workshop, an employee accidentally stitched the festive foal's mouth on upside-down -- turning its cheerful expression into a gloomy frown.

From Barron's ● Feb. 5, 2026

The Justices sound ready to frown on his firing of Lisa Cook.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026

Even if you want to cry when you walk in the door, turn that frown upside down and greet your host with a warm hug and a smile.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 17, 2026

“I like to turn that frown into a smile.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2025

Failing to hide a frown, she laid the envelope down on the map in front of me.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Dogs are exceptionally skilled at reading human emotions, from smiles and laughter to frowns and tears.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

On a recent day off from making lattes and Frappuccinos, Starbucks barista Bridget Baron came into work to do something the company usually frowns upon: posting an on-the-job TikTok.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 2, 2025

Young visitors at the Vietnam Military History Museum posted photos of themselves next to the flag with deep frowns, thumbs down or middle fingers raised.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2025

And generally, the law frowns on making a person’s status—rather than their actions—the basis of a crime or a lawsuit.

From Slate ● May 13, 2024

Celia frowns and gives him the tiniest of nods.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Henderson said he only realized the solicitation he’d been asked to do might be frowned upon after Orchid told him as much at their meal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

In the past, administrators "frowned upon trade schools, they wanted to steer everybody to go to college."

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Greenspan overcame his bashfulness in 1987 to ask Nancy Reagan, who frowned on unwed couples at formal events, if his invitation to a White House state dinner could include Mitchell as his guest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

It was meant to address concerns about hygiene and safety, but the law also played into social norms in a conservative country where body art is still deeply frowned upon.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

Instead, she glanced down at it, then looked back up at the smoke and frowned.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

One sign crossed out “play” and replaced it with a frowning face.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

In the troika of major figures in the Russian Revolution, Trotsky stood for ideas and Stalin represented power; their predecessor, Vladimir Lenin, had fused the two values as the frowning avatar of communist leadership.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

A frowning horse plush has become a viral bestseller ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations for the year of the horse in China.

From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2026

She grinned as she explained that some sculptures of famed Buddhist monk Ji Gong even showed him smiling on one side of his face and frowning on the other.

From Barron's ● Jan. 19, 2026

“Drat that boy,” interposed my sister, frowning at me over her work, “what a questioner he is. Ask no questions, and you’ll be told no lies.”

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens