SOUNDS Synonyms: 156 Similar and Opposite Words

sounds 1 of 4

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of sound

as in echoes

to continue or be repeated in a series of reflected sound waves the stranded hiker's cries for help sounded throughout the canyon

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Relevance

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as in seems

to give the impression of being the idea at least sounds plausible

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as in voices

to make known (as an idea, emotion, or opinion) a person who certainly isn't shy about sounding her opinions

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as in announces

to make known openly or publicly the grand opening of the region's newest and largest mall has been loudly sounded for months

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sounds

2 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of sound

as in plumbs

to measure the depth of (as a body of water) typically with a weighted line the pilot sounded the river to make sure we weren't in any danger of running aground

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as in plunges

to cast oneself head first into deep water a whale suddenly surfaced and then, just as suddenly, sounded

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

surfaces

sounds

3 of 4

noun (1)

plural of sound

as in hearings

range of hearing wandered off, out of her parents' sight and sound

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sounds

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural of sound

as in channels

a narrow body of water between two land masses Long Island Sound is between Connecticut and Long Island, New York

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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 sounds

Verb

That sounds like a step towards them breaking up. —

Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026 Although living in a place without dancing sounds pretty scary to me, so maybe Footloose is a horror movie after all. —

Jen Chaney, Vulture, 13 May 2026 Amy and Ethan wrote it, but Alana arranged it in the way that Hannah arranged it, with the looping and the hockey sounds and all of the instruments. —

Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 13 May 2026 That sounds like a lot, but remember that's not just fruits and vegetables. —

Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 13 May 2026 If that second list sounds familiar, sleep specialists suggest a tracker holiday — a week or two without checking — to recalibrate. —

Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 12 May 2026 Guthrie would later express dissatisfaction with Watts-Russell’s dry production on Garlands, and the band’s Roland TR-808 drum machine sounds less stylish without the cavernous reverb that would become a signature of every subsequent release. —

Al Shipley, SPIN, 12 May 2026 And the story sounds like a heartbreaker, following a composer Elliot (Brody) who invites his daughter Emma (Zegler) on a gay cruise through the Caribbean in 1991 at the height of the AIDS crisis. —

Brent Lang, Variety, 12 May 2026 Lukas Dhont knows that, as far as titles go, Coward sounds a bit loaded. —

David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026

Noun

There were crackling sounds coming from the radio, someone speaking over the noise of a crowd. —

Fran Moreland Johns, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026 Though many pretend otherwise, the once revolutionary sounds of the free jazz movement have shifted into their own form of orthodoxy, just like swing, bebop, and everything that preceded it. —

Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026 Those two deliberately do not sound like Police guitarist Andy Summers or drummer Stewart Copeland, both of whom created sounds that gave the Police its unique pop/rock/punk flair. —

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 May 2026 Yet what was missing was a vessel for creating his alternative sounds. —

Miki Hellerbach, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026 In simpler terms, the animal was believed to be listening for echo-like sounds, which would effectively reveal where insect tunnels were hidden beneath the bark. —

Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026 The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people — including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States. —

Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026 For his part, Sharon let the sounds follow the music. —

Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2026 With that hearing now less than a week away, the sights and sounds of the dying mall point to the fact that it could soon be laid to rest. —

Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sounds

Verb

Exactly how its effects will work through the economy is impossible to say, but serious disruption of one kind or another seems likely.

— Editorial, Boston Herald, 10 May 2026
In a sane world, Congress would put a stop to it and reassert its own power to regulate import duties; unfortunately, this particular GOP Congress seems content enough to be a lapdog watching Trump usurp them and damage the economy and our international standing.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 10 May 2026