Which sentence uses a simile?

• A. Her smile was bright.
• B. The sun smiled back at her.
• C. She smiled brightly in the sun.
• D. Her smile was as bright as the sun.

Answer: (D)

Simile is a comparison that uses like or as to show that two things share a similar quality. The sentence that uses a simile says Her smile was as bright as the sun. It compares the brightness of her smile to the brightness of the sun using the word as in the pattern as ... as, which signals a comparison.

The other sentences describe or convey something different: Her smile was bright is a plain description with no comparison; The sun smiled back at her treats the sun as doing a human action (personification) rather than making a comparison; She smiled brightly in the sun changes how she smiled but not what she’s comparing.