1
as in cry
a crying out in grief
a prolonged wail arose from every corner of the city as the victims of the earthquake were unearthed from the rubble
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in groan
a long low sound indicating pain or grief
rescuers heard a faint wail coming from the pile of rubble, a sure sign that one of the victims was still alive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
a transit fare increase that is sure to bring wails from the straphangers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the state's residents are always wailing about their high taxes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to groan
to utter a moan
the patient lay in her bed, occasionally softly wailing in pain
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of wail
Cyrus Farivar,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
The resulting wail is certainly not kitten-like, sounding more like a cross between a sport bike and a completely uncorked race car.
—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
29 Apr. 2026
Claudia Boyd-Barrett,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
In a heartbreaking scene outside the residence, as captured on video by ABC 7, family members are seen wailing and distraught, surrounded by police cars and neighbors.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for wail
Noun
Within moments, a smoke detector wails.
—
Cyrus Farivar,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
The resulting wail is certainly not kitten-like, sounding more like a cross between a sport bike and a completely uncorked race car.
—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
Families broken Noemi, a Guatemalan mother and asylum seeker, stood in the parking lot at an ICE office north of Los Angeles, her three children wailing and clinging to her, glass from the family's car scattered at their feet.
—
Claudia Boyd-Barrett,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
In a heartbreaking scene outside the residence, as captured on video by ABC 7, family members are seen wailing and distraught, surrounded by police cars and neighbors.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for wail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wail
Noun
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For some, the good news started with a whisper — or a baby’s cry.
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Such efforts at avoidance would lead to cries to apply payroll taxes to non-salary incomes such as dividends.
Noun
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Out comes a guttural groan, her exertion a tight whip cracking open a black hole of pain.
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Young climbed into a box, which Strange then stabbed repeatedly, prompting groans from the audience.
Noun
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Test recordings sounded clear and full, and the noise cancellation completely blocked out the buzz and whine of my 3D printer.
-
Lee's voice has always been Sui generis, a distinctive instrument caught between a whine and a yelp yet immediately recognizable.
Verb
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At one practice during the fall of 2024, Washington’s assistant athletic director of football academics Diamond Brown was standing on the sideline when Jonah bounded up to her in full pads and begun complaining about his grade in a music class.
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How to complain with flair at a restaurant when things go awry?
Verb
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Gary ad-libbed to the sound of howling winds and ominous metal scraping.
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Jingoists howled with rage that a foreigner—no, worse, a German—had got the England job.
Verb
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Musselwhite punctuated the music with his harmonica trills and moans while his right knee bounced in time with the rhythms.
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And yes, that sound will dissipate and soon will be too faint for my human ears as it is absorbed into space, but Renee Gladman writes that spaces moan.
Noun
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Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion after scoring his first goal against Algeria and said after that match his tears came following some tough days not related to soccer.
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Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion after scoring his first goal against Algeria, and said after that match his tears came following some tough days not related to soccer.
Noun
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After Messi and his team's loss to Saudi Arabia in November 2022, the athlete told reporters, per The Mirror, that Mateo left the stadium crying.
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This is not the kid-crying, shoulder-to-shoulder type of resort; outside of newer guests, there are families who have been coming here for years and understand the groove of it all, from toddlers to teenagers.
Cite this Entry
“Wail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wail. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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