as in to snarl
to speak sharply or irritably
the new supervisor found that speaking to people with a civil tongue got better results than barking at them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ship
a boat equipped with one or more sails
took a small bark out on the lake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bark
Molly Keshin,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Command and control → Collaborate to find success The era of the all-knowing boss barking orders from on high is over.
—
Maria Ross,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
Tata Harper's Regenerating Cleanser pairs gentle physical exfoliants with willow bark and pink clay to whisk away dead skin cells, excess oil, and buildup that can make skin look dull.
—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bark
Verb
Fans and players on both sides started barking, resulting in a social media frenzy.
—
Molly Keshin,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Command and control → Collaborate to find success The era of the all-knowing boss barking orders from on high is over.
—
Maria Ross,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
The cockroaches are most commonly found in irrigation boxes, but also within cracks in the concrete, underneath bark, in leaves and in drains.
—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
Tata Harper's Regenerating Cleanser pairs gentle physical exfoliants with willow bark and pink clay to whisk away dead skin cells, excess oil, and buildup that can make skin look dull.
—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bark
Verb
-
In fact, none of them are shy about their glee, leaving Kayda crying, Trinity snarling, and Melanie calculating.
-
Traffic was snarled on Interstate 70 and other key arteries because of some combination of vague signage on parking passes or apps, accidents earlier in the afternoon, the lack of dedicated lanes for the bus system — why oh why couldn’t that be achieved in the master plan?
Noun
-
For months, shipping companies have been in wait and see mode, carefully calculating the risk of moving ships through the strait.
-
Transits tripled to 93 last weekend compared with the prior comparable period, according to ship-tracking data provider MarineTraffic, but remain far below pre-war levels when more than 100 ships transited the strait each day.
Verb
-
Her longtime bestie Abigail Anderson, whom Swift shouted out in her 2008 album Fearless, tied the knot for the first time in September 2017.
-
He was shouted out by multiple fighters following victories.
Noun
-
This burgeoning category received a further boost when one Paul Sperry slipped on the deck of his schooner, inspiring the American sailor to look for an alternate form of traction.
-
When the perilous search for the Northwest Passage sparked a wave of popular interest in the Arctic, Church set off by schooner in search of icebergs.
Verb
-
The living room can turn suddenly cold and cavernous, with Joe and Angela yelling at each other across an emotional chasm.
-
People can be heard yelling in the background.
Noun
-
Russia says the crew of the frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired shots into the air after the sailboat failed to respond to warnings to change course.
-
O’Brien advised them to build a large, permanent air-force base, and to keep frigates on rotation in the Nuuk harbor, as a deterrent to the Russian and Chinese navies.
Verb
-
Like why does Bravo think making the captions all different sizes screams Gen Z?
-
For Denver, who sent the pick away, this screams cost-cutting measure for a team running into second apron issues.
Noun
-
Just two days after the Hannah was underway, her crew captured the Unity, a sloop loaded with naval stores and lumber, supplies sorely needed by British forces in Boston.
-
Palm Beach Motor Yachts has taken its supermaxi sloop to new heights—quite literally.
Cite this Entry
“Bark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bark. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
