barked 1 of 2

past tense of bark
as in peeled
to remove the natural covering of barking a tree will probably kill it

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barked

2 of 2

verb (2)

past tense of bark
as in shouted
to speak sharply or irritably the new supervisor found that speaking to people with a civil tongue got better results than barking at them

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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 barked
Verb
Toward the end of his game-winning drive Sunday, Mac Jones received the play from the sideline, barked it to teammates, then turned to one of his two favorite targets on the day, Christian McCaffrey. Matt Barrows, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025 Ronson politely demurred the money twice until Combs barked at him with an expletive to take the money. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025 His buddies just … barked at him in the weight room. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025 As reporters walked by where Broadbelt’s body was found, a large black dog in a front yard barked loudly and ran along the fence. Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025 Steve’s gun barked almost in my ear, and the sound brought that treetop skirmish to a sudden conclusion. Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 21 Aug. 2025 The rescue organization went through multiple meet-and-greets with the adopter, but at his home, Wilbur barked at the husband. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025 Nobody seemed in charge when things got crazy, so different instructions were being barked out haphazardly by all four men. Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 The officer walked slowly into the alley, where Georgia Peach and Bolt barked, then trotted in the officer’s direction. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Barked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barked. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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