How to Use sinister in a Sentence

sinister

adjective
  • There was something sinister about him.
  • What a long, sinister name for a horse!
    — William Earl, Variety, 21 Dec. 2025
  • The sources are far more sinister than that.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Moments that had seemed cute take on a sinister bent.
    — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Williams said there might have been a more sinister motive.
    — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
  • But there’s something about this one that seems much more sinister.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
  • But why should the sinister be confined to a single time of year?
    — Tony Adler, Chicago Reader, 10 May 2018
  • All to the tune of a more sinister remix of Roan's jaunty hit.
    — Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • All those robots rising out of their crates is not sinister at all.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 23 Jan. 2026
  • The sound effects make birdsong and wind in the trees seem sinister.
    — oregonlive, 10 Oct. 2022
  • But something more sinister is afoot, signs of which come to us in chilling hints.
    — Katherine A. Powers, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2018
  • The vibes feel somewhat sinister here.
    — Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2025
  • His phone was always calling to me, like my own phone did, only in a more sinister way.
    — Lauren Oyler, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2021
  • Cynics say the motives are even more sinister.
    — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026
  • As with many of his paintings, the bright and playful colors are lined with a sinister edge.
    — Lauren Smart, Dallas News, 26 Jan. 2021
  • His face is seemingly bare, but his black nails complete the more sinister look.
    — Gabi Thorne, Allure, 26 Mar. 2021
  • Needless to say, something very sinister and deadly lies at the end of their path.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Side effects may include terror at the hands of a sinister force.
    — ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The other big mystery is whether there’s something far more sinister at play.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • On the other hand, these same videos have performed a sinister function.
    — Allissa V. Richardson, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2020
  • Chesnutt wasn’t alone in these sometimes sinister tones.
    — David Harris, SPIN, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Is their entire a life a facade for something more sinister?
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2025
  • There is some thought that this was a sinister right-wing attempt to test and demonstrate what dark money can do.
    — John Brummett, Arkansas Online, 1 June 2021
  • To engage with them was to look in a mirror and find a sinister creature staring back.
    — Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
  • But, with a sinister villain out to get the keys for her secret plan, things aren't going to be easy for them.
    — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, 8 Feb. 2020
  • One of them has fashioned a sinister balaclava out of his cap and neck gaiter.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Hugh Grant is getting big buzz for his portrayal of the sinister man with a plan.
    — Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
  • Broken down by days of the week and paired with sinister organ music, the odd chapter is a fun ride.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2025
  • But the toy turns out to be quite sinister — and has ties to Jessica herself.
    — Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024
  • Is this the work of the Virgin Mary or something more sinister?
    — Kathleen Christiansen, orlandosentinel.com, 18 Apr. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sinister.' 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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