BARKING Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

barking 1 of 2

verb (1)

present participle of bark

as in peeling

to remove the natural covering of barking a tree will probably kill it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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barking

2 of 2

verb (2)

present participle of bark

as in shouting

to speak sharply or irritably the new supervisor found that speaking to people with a civil tongue got better results than barking at them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 barking

Verb

Doing so can startle the dog and make the barking worse, LaSala says. — Angela Haupt, Time, 4 Nov. 2026 The video showed many of the dogs standing together on a dusty site, near dry brush, barking and wagging their tails. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026 In one of the videos Jennifer shared with CBS News Baltimore, Stewart was filming Suki barking in the Davis family's front yard behind their fence. — CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 The chattering and barking mammals that scamper through these woodlands rely on the pale fluid to grow fast, providing mammal pups with the raw materials to start turning the soft cartilage of their skeletons to more resilient bone. — Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026 When the group arrived, Jason couldn’t enter the residence because of the barking dogs. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2026 Mainly looking to drown out a snoring partner, a barking dog or an overactive brain? — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026 Heavy guillotine doors leading outside remained, pathways were narrow, and barking dogs and traffic from the nearby freeway created persistent noise. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Rubber-bullet shooters and a barking K-9 unit trailed behind. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for barking

Verb

The work wrapped up behind schedule at more than 10 times that cost, after algae blooms and a peeling blue liner forced crews to drain it again in July.

— Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
But the president continues to repeat false claims that vandalism — rather than shoddy workmanship — was to blame for a new blue surface peeling away.

— Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of peeling

Verb

Ultimately, though, many workers want to be at a business that rewards people for actually doing the hard work—not just shouting the most about it.

— Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026
In one video, Basabe appears to raise his voice at a man before turning around and shouting at a woman.

— Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of shouting

Verb

The westbound lanes of Interstate 30 were closed, snarling traffic for the morning commute as crews worked to clear the scene.

— Briauna Brown, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Dmitriev followed up by posting a meme about the new global world order — an American eagle and a Russian bear together snarling at a British lion over the fate of a fracturing European continent.

— Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of snarling

Verb

Vision is still frustrated and furious over the ways Ultron tricked and used him, but yelling at an opponent that won’t get riled in return isn’t satisfying.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
The video, which is blurry from the officer's movement, captures yelling and the sound of a single gunshot, followed by several additional gunshot noises.

— CBS News, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of yelling

Verb

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who had seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown, was screaming at coaches and teammates on the sideline at the start of the fourth quarter.

— Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who was held to seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown, was screaming at coaches and teammates on the sideline at the start of the fourth quarter.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of screaming

Verb

The knights are not just noblemen but athletes of the sand—flipping, flying, and growling into the arena.

— Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
Dogs and cats may be triggered by this distinctive smell and show unusual behavior when skunks are nearby, such as sniffing or pawing the dirt around the burrow or becoming more protective by growling or hovering near the entrance.

— Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of growling

Browse Nearby Words

barkeeps

barking

barks

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“Barking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barking. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of barking

verb (1)

verb (2)

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