1
as in groan
a long low sound indicating pain or grief
she uttered an agonized moan and clutched her stomach
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2
as in wail
a crying out in grief
moans arose from the crowd as the funeral procession for the well-loved senator made its way down the street
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3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
the crowd responded with a moan when it was announced that the rest of the show would be cancelled due to the weather
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1
as in to groan
to utter a moan
he moaned and cried for days after his dog, his only companion, died
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2
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
their son moaned whenever anyone asked him to do some work
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of moan
Noel Murray, New York Times, 12 May 2025
The eyes start rolling and the moans come out when dudes get super gooned.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 6 May 2025
Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The patient is actually a training dummy that instructors can manipulate into yelling, moaning, retching, suffering blood pressure spikes, heart attacks and other medical emergencies.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
The smart zombies make the most upsetting noises, sounding like human moans.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 12 May 2025
The eyes start rolling and the moans come out when dudes get super gooned.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 6 May 2025
Verb
Ellis could be heard moaning and could be seen lying on the ground.
—Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The patient is actually a training dummy that instructors can manipulate into yelling, moaning, retching, suffering blood pressure spikes, heart attacks and other medical emergencies.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
-
Well, the pass was not quite as good as Kaka’s groan-inducing curved pass for Hernan Crespo in the 2005 final between Milan and Liverpool.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Dalton recalls, imitating a groan.—
Sean Mandell,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Low, ominous bass riffs giving way to a distorted wail of electric guitar signaled that this was the juncture in American history when the gloves came off and the real ass-kicking began.—
Seth Harp,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Were his character more precisely defined, Battle’s wail of feeling might carry you past the awkwardness of the songwriting, the nagging questions about what’s meant to be translucent or not, but here both character and emotion are indistinct.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The unfiltered electric soundtrack of the Evija goes from a piercing whine to an ear-splitting shriek.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Moscow’s escalating air war and the distinctive whine of Shaheds is now forcing Ukrainians out of their beds and into shelters and metro stations on an almost-nightly basis.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Jiang and his colleagues complain over video chat about their bland meals, but the people who produce, prepare and deliver the food remain invisible.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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Yost and others who opposed the sale of books from the library complained that HUC should not sell part of its collection to ease its financial problems.—
Dan Horn,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The album is a hot mess of conflicted emotions, empty braggadocio, poor technique, and heartbreaking yet tiresome crying jags.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Sure, the stunts and smooches and big crying scenes are fun.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Their cries could indicate the pack is hurt or in trouble.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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During the closing Neilah service after night has fallen, the practice concludes with the cries of the Shema prayer before the congregation erupts into song and dance.—
Krys'tal Griffin,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The decision to place Hauck on leave followed three complaints accusing him of inappropriate speech on multiple occasions, according to records received via a Freedom of Information Act request.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Sep. 2025
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The station chief filed a complaint with the State Department’s Office of the Inspector General, charging that Manes had unfairly dismissed him, among other allegations.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
When the Target employees announced the launch, the fans screamed and were called up to the counter one by one.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Adults and children alike were pulled from their Chicago apartments, crying and screaming, during a large overnight raid that has left tenants and neighbors shaken.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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