1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he was growling about how much work he had to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to roar
to make a long loud deep noise or cry
the neighbor's dog growls every time we pass the house
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of growl
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
13 May 2026
Mira growled into her watch, excitedly.
—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Logic, curated by decades of precedent, suggested the 22-year-old might tremble at the growl of the aggressive, experienced Wolves.
—
Marcus Thompson Ii,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for growl
Verb
At that point, your stomach has probably been growling for a good hour, so answer that call with some tacos at Taqueria Rosita.
—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
13 May 2026
Mira growled into her watch, excitedly.
—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
The house band drums intensify, a violin cries and guitar chords growl.
—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Logic, curated by decades of precedent, suggested the 22-year-old might tremble at the growl of the aggressive, experienced Wolves.
—
Marcus Thompson Ii,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for growl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for growl
Verb
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Even Hakimi didn't complain, instead giving van de Ven a dap of respect.
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The document complains about trade, customs officers, juryless courts, and judges’ salaries.
Verb
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Los Angeles stretches its NL West lead to 11 games and maintains MLB’s best record as Ohtani’s star power turns Sacramento’s nominal home crowd into a roaring Dodgers road show.
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The crowd will roar for the man who nearly delivered a World Series-winning homer.
Verb
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Grief has always been at the core of Ibeyi’s work, but in moving through rumbling electronic-R&B production, dramatic strings, and exultant hand percussion, joy spills over the 12 tracks of Offering, their first album as independent artists.
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The second earthquake that hit Venezuela on Wednesday started rumbling before the first had even concluded.
Noun
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Be prepared for traffic snarls and multiple security checkpoints.
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Multiple inbound lanes are blocked as a result, causing a massive traffic snarl and backup.
Verb
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Like why does Bravo think making the captions all different sizes screams Gen Z?
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For Denver, who sent the pick away, this screams cost-cutting measure for a team running into second apron issues.
Verb
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Jessie whines about the good old days all the time — how fun is that?
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Don’t whine about his Northern California roots or love of the local nine.
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.
Verb
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Bat met ball and, under his breath, Astros manager Joe Espada muttered an expletive.
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In the shadows of the long-hut, the elders muttered among themselves—of portents and crops and weather and the storage of grain.
Cite this Entry
“Growl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/growl. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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