How to Use smug in a Sentence
smug
adjective
- It's OK to celebrate your success, but try not to be too smug about it.
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At the same time, members of the Right shouldn’t be so smug.
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John Tamny,
Forbes,
10 Oct. 2021
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And frankly, that sort of thing now feels more than a bit smug.
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Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2024
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The Edgars are thrilled — and a bit smug — about his success.
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Nora McGreevy,
BostonGlobe.com,
8 Aug. 2019
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And now those smug b-holes have to lick your nuts like the rest of us do.
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Michael Schneider,
Variety,
14 May 2024
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Rachel ripping the smug grin right off of Shane’s face.
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Liam Hes,
Vogue,
16 Aug. 2021
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The smug tone of the mock news conference added to the outrage.
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New York Times,
8 Dec. 2021
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Some shrugged at the heat wave; others were a bit smug about it.
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Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2024
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That’s a smug response to the people who pay their bills.
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Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
20 Oct. 2019
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The camera cuts to Nana proudly toting a weapon the size of her body, a smug look on her face.
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Laura Zornosa,
Time,
18 Aug. 2023
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The thing about the smug is that their karma can sometimes be sudden.
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latimes.com,
12 July 2019
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Then another smile, this one even more smug than the last.
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Los Angeles Times,
20 Aug. 2021
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Meanwhile, the smug parishioners despise the poor folks around their fine church.
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Celia Storey,
Arkansas Online,
24 May 2021
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The modern-day version of this conundrum is why smug Robert from sales got the job and not you.
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Sarah Todd,
Quartz,
15 Oct. 2021
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Just look at how smug her face is front row with the McStablishment.
—
Rafi Schwartz,
The Week,
6 Jan. 2023
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Sorry to be so smug, but the Celtics had no business losing a game in this series.
—
Globe Staff,
BostonGlobe.com,
21 Apr. 2023
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The smug assailant took off on foot uptown on Second Ave., cops said.
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Elizabeth Keogh,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2024
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Uthaug steers clear of smug self-awareness and instead delivers one of the freshest takes on the genre in years.
—
WIRED,
10 Feb. 2023
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Back around 2014 or so, the smug confidence came from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, which still didn't see Tesla as a threat.
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Ezra Dyer,
Car and Driver,
3 Sep. 2022
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Even at its height, Playboy seemed to have a smug self-importance that gave the finger to the common man.
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Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2023
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But too often, the Elect have resorted to a smug moralism.
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Ian Buruma,
Harper's Magazine,
2 June 2023
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Obviously, the term is rude and very smug—in the same vein as the guys who wear One Less Car T-shirts while riding their bike.
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Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
5 July 2023
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This of course, set off the usual backlash on talk radio and the like, and the skewering of smug Prius owners on South Park.
—
Brendan McAleer,
Car and Driver,
14 Dec. 2022
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On the adult side, Daniel Dae Kim is perfectly smug and sinister as Ozai.
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Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2024
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The tabloids reported on it with a mix of smug derision and hollow lament.
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Josie Duffy Rice,
The Atlantic,
12 July 2018
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The latter hit back in a letter to his wife: ‘what a smug, stinking lot my relations are’.
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Dr. Tessa Dunlop,
Town & Country,
2 Apr. 2023
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Bale went to ride off into the sunset on his golf cart throwing smug glances at Zidane...
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SI.com,
1 Sep. 2019
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The Cowboys were living in the minds of every Niner fan, and their fans were smug and confident.
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Bruce Jenkins,
SFChronicle.com,
11 July 2020
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Marcos, who’s studying to be a sports journalist, takes out his ID card with a smug smile.
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Sarah Esther Maslin,
1843,
4 July 2019
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But this isn’t the time to be smug toward those who derided them, Sutton and others said.
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Jonathan Bullington,
The Courier-Journal,
27 Mar. 2020
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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