See Also: BRIGHTNESS; FACIAL EXPRESSION, MISCELLANEOUS; GRINS; LAUGHTER

1. Adjusted her smile like a cardboard mask —Vicki Baum
2. An attempt at a smile creased Willie’s face like old tissue —Paige Mitchell
3. Beamed like a child that stops crying the moment you return his favorite toy and promise never to confiscate it again —Natascha Wodin
4. Beamed like a lighthouse —Clive Cussler
5. Beamed like an August moon —F. van Wyck Mason
6. Beamed like a small boy uncrating his first bicycle —Robert Traver
7. Beamed like the sun —Mikhail Lermontov

   The sunshine-like smile in Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time is in response to a nod from a young woman at a dance.

8. Beams like a politician —Dilys Laing
9. The faint, slow smile clung like an edge of light to her lips —Ellen Glasgow
10. Flashed her smile [and] bit it off like a thread —John Cheever
11. A flashing smile, like a knife gleaming briefly from concealment —Ross Macdonald
12. Had a smile for every occasion, like Hallmark cards —Andrew Kaplan
13. Her vivid smile was like a light held up to dazzle me —Edith Wharton
14. His smile drops from his face like a mask with a broken cord —Erich Maria Remarque
15. His smile lit up the world like a strobe light —Herbert Gold
16. His smile spread across his bearded face in crooked jerks … like a crack spreading across a dam —Rick Borsten
17. An indestructible smile cracked forever across the front of his face like the brim of a black ten-gallon hat —Joseph Heller

    The comparison is particularly apt as it applies to a character who’s a Texan.

18. Kept smiling, as if the corners of his mouth were strung up on invisible wires —Sylvia Plath
19. The lines of a smile split his jaw like a field furrow —Leigh Allison Wilson
20. Looked like a lizard regarding a fly —John Irving
21. A lovely smile, like a shining seal upon a contract —Graham Swift
22. On-and-off smile … like a light-switch —Eleanor Clark
23. Pinched-lip smile that dug deep grooves like chisel strokes in her cheeks —Anthony E. Stockanes
24. A pure and radiant smile suddenly shone out under her beautiful wet eyelashes, like sunshine among branches after a summer shower —Anatole France
25. Quick smile like somebody with a fever —George Garrett
26. Quick smiles that were like small coins thrown without fuss to someone who has done a service —Graham Swift
27. She smiled like a belle —Jonathan Valin
28. (Smile more widely and) show his teeth like a politician visiting a high school —James Reiss
29. Simpering like a wolf —Dylan Thomas
30. A slight smile, like a knife mark in fresh dough —James Crumley
31. Sly, satisfied smile … like a wink, a nudge in the ribs —Ann Petry
32. A small puckered-up smile like an old scar —Helen Hudson
33. Smile as spare as the décor along Death Row —Loren D. Estleman
34. Smile … warm and steady as summer sun —Mary Hedin
35. Smile … like a crack in old plaster —Rita Mae Brown
36. A smile, as artificial as the last touch of makeup —Marguerite Yourcenar
37. Smile as cold as a polar bear’s feet —Eugene O’Neill
38. A smile as guileless as that of a serpent —R. Wright Campbell

    See Also: INNOCENCE

39. The smile, as it went from her face, reminded me of a flame turned off by a tap —H. E. Bates
40. Smile as phony as that of a trained horse —James Crumley
41. Smile as sharp as a blade —Ellen Glasgow
42. Smile broke apart like a cheap tumbler shattering —Geoffrey Wolff
43. A smile broke over his face like the sunrise over Monadnock —Steven Vincent Benét
44. Smile … cool as clean linen, friendly as beer —John Braine
45. Smiled as broad as a Halloween pumpkin —Charles Johnson
46. (Blinked and) smiled like a lizard on a rock —John D. MacDonald
47. Smiled like a submissive wife —Herbert Gold
48. Smiled like a wolf at the thought of the next meal —Mike Fredman
49. Smiled like a woman resigned to a fate worse than death —James Crumley
50. Smiled like La Gioconda —Gerald Kersh
51. Smiled [upon being introduced] like people who had been introduced years before and had flirted and were now hiding their acquaintance —Christina Stead
52. Smiled like she had just discovered a cure for the common cold —Arnold Sawislak
53. Smiled off and on, like a neon sign —Clancy Sigal
54. Smiled with all the charm and cunning of the dangerously insane —Miles Gibson
55. Smile, fixed like that of a ventriloquist’s doll —Eric Ambler
56. A smile … flashed like an inspired thought across her face —O. Henry
57. A smile had widened her lips, spreading like oil —Hortense Calisher
58. Smile … it refreshes, like a shower from a watering pot —A Broken-Hearted Gardener, anonymous nineteenth century verse
59. Smile like a cocktail gone flat —Malcolm Cowley
60. Smile … like a crack in an eggshell —Leslie Thomas
61. A smile like a cunning little flame came over his face, suddenly and involuntarily —D. H. Lawrence
62. Smile … like a fresh saber scar —R. V. Cassill
63. A smile like a large plaster ornament —Marge Piercy
64. Smile … like all the lights of a Christmas tree going on at once —George Garrett
65. Smile … like an invitation —Flannery O’Connor
66. Smile like a plastic daisy —Marge Piercy
67. Smile like a razor-cut before the blood comes —John Dickson Carr
68. Smile … like a white flower flung on an open wound —Adela Rogers St. Johns
69. A smile like Christmas morning —Harry Prince
70. Smile like heaven —Edith Wharton
71. Smile … like holiday sunshine —John Le Carré
72. Smile … like that of the boa constrictor about to swallow the rabbit —Arthur Train
73. Smile … like the crêpe on a coffin —Lawrence Durrell
74. A smile like the first scratch on a new car —Tom Robbins
75. Smile … like the smile of a chipmunk sucking on a toothpick —Don Robertson
76. Smile like transparent water stirred by a light breeze —Italo Svevo
77. (Flashes his eyes in) a smile like triumph —D. H. Lawrence
78. Smile of a man with a terminal headache —T. Coraghessan Boyle
79. A smile passed over his big face like a soundless storm —Erich Maria Remarque
80. A smile passed over her lined face like sunlight on a plowed field —Ross Macdonald
81. The smile she gave him was like a white flower flung on an open wound —Adela Rogers St. Johns
82. Smiles stolidly flickered like home movies —Stephen Sandy
83. Smiles tossed like fanciful flowers —Joan Chase
84. Smiles wanly … like an actor with no conviction —Rosellen Brown
85. Smile sweet as cake —Lorrie Moore

    See Also: SWEETNESS

86. A smile that came and went as quickly as a facial tic —John D. MacDonald
87. Smile that stretches like a rubber band —Daphne Merkin
88. Smile … vacant and faint like the smile fading on an old photograph —V. S. Pritchett
89. A smile wide as a mousetrap —David Brierly
90. A smile with closed lips which was at once sorrowful and comic, very like a clown’s —Storm Jameson
91. Smiling encouragingly but rather distantly, like friends saying good-bye in a hospital to a patient who is not expected, except by some miracle, to recover —John Mortimer
92. Smiling like a bailiff —Sumner Locke Elliott
93. Smiling like a birthday child —John Gardner
94. Smiling … like a fat yellow cat —J. B. Priestley
95. Smiling like a winking shudder —Robert Campbell
96. Smiling secretly as cats do in the midst of mouse dreams —Sue Grafton
97. Smiling to himself like a mysterious Buddha —Margaret Landon
98. A soft silky smile [of mother] slipped over her [young daughter] like a new dress, making her feel beautiful —Helen Hudson
99. Stretching a smile across her face like a rubber band —Susan Ferraro, New York Times/Hers, March 12, 1987
100. Suddenly, like a crocus bursting out of winter earth, she [a child] looked up at Alison and smiled —John Fowles
101. The suggestion of an ironic smile rippled about her face like a breeze on a pond —James Crumley
102. (She smiled at me, and) the smile broke against my face like a cool wave —L. P. Hartley
103. The way you smile, with your whole face, with your eyes, it’s like a certificate of trust —T. Coraghessan Boyle
104. When Henry smiled, showing his newly crowned front teeth, he looked like a male lead in an old silent film —Kathleen Farrell
105. When she smiled her eyes and mouth lighted up as if a lamp shone within —Ellen Glasgow
106. A wide smile, glamorous and trembly, like a movie star’s —Molly Giles