barks 1 of 3

plural of bark

barks

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of bark
as in peels
to remove the natural covering of barking a tree will probably kill it

Synonyms & Similar Words

barks

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of bark
as in shouts
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 barks
Noun
Incense usually comes in either cone or stick form and is composed of fragrant material — usually resins, seeds, barks and flowers — that’s bound together using a combustible material. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 June 2026 Caspar David Friedrich has sketchbooks of particular branches, twigs, barks of different trees. Literary Hub, 12 May 2026 Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026 And while humans can often discern animal distress calls or differentiate dog barks, many animal noises may seem inconsequential to the untrained human ear. Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2026 One hums with high-speed drills and anxiety; the other echoes with joyful barks and tail wags. Henry I. Miller, STAT, 28 Jan. 2026 On our third day, a late-afternoon beach landing on Sante Fe deposited us amid a colony of sleeping sea lions, their barks and coughs reverberating across the sandy shore. Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2026 That Doberman, the two black Labradors and a standard poodle better watch out for the two Chihuahuas, their barks say. Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 23 Dec. 2025 The duo jumped and screamed in celebration, with their dogs joining the fun with a few barks and squeals. Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025
Verb
Early sips are big on citrus (specifically pomelo and lemon) and herbal tea, alongside lighter elements of cedar and birch barks. David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Mac barks at Andi as the two of them drive home. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 May 2026 Much like a dog that barks at every little noise and passerby, my skin is reactive. Devon Abelman, Allure, 24 Apr. 2026 Meanwhile, the same neighbor’s dog barks at all hours, day and night, and a large shoe rack sits outside her door — an eyesore and a fire code violation. Judith Martin, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026 The scolding was met with more meows and barks. Clara McMichael, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026 The pup barks excitedly before the door swings open and Koch drops to her knees to receive kisses and greetings. Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026 Sadie excitedly barks before the door opens and Koch drops to her knees to receive kisses and greetings from the pup. Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026 Heck, even our beloved pup, Dale, barks whenever a squirrel’s hiding in the networking hardware! Jed Feiman, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barks
Noun
  • Attacks on ships — and the threat of them — virtually halted traffic in the waterway during the conflict, causing the price of oil to skyrocket and raising prices on many basic goods, including food, far beyond the region.
    Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • But a growing number of ships are using a route close to the Omani coast instead, threatening Iran’s leverage over the waterway.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • His wife, Yusra Abu-Alhasab, peels back the curtain to tell her husband something in Arabic.
    Jenna Thompson June 24, Kansas City Star, 24 June 2026
  • This peels the macro noise off the 10-K, leaving behind a clean, company-specific dataset that background models can actually calculate.
    Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • In the background, an adult voice shouts at the bear, helping to scare the animal off.
    Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
  • If a street preacher shouts their sermon into a bullhorn on a public street, and a nearby business owner calls the police, who is in the right?
    Emily Holshouser July 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • The Herald had previously reported on Rodriguez Castro’s penchant for a luxurious lifestyle filled with yachts, VIP parties and designer goods.
    Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
  • As with most modern foiling yachts, the Hypersail is fitted with foils that can be adjusted in real time to match conditions.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder yells a lot of things from the dugout during a game, usually aimed at his own players.
    Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2026
  • Sirianni yells to the man, who continues toward the building without a reaction.
    Michael Silver, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Noun
  • Berlin is reportedly planning to scrap a multi-billion-euro project to build the F126 frigates, in which Rheinmetall was expected to become the lead contractor.
    Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 24 June 2026
  • French frigates used machine guns, cannons and sophisticated air-defense missiles to fend off Houthi strikes.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • Security snarls The TSA PreCheck line at terminal B in LaGuardia Airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, on March 27, 2026.
    Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Beyond the red tape that snarls any new apartment, condominiums confront an additional hurdle.
    M. Nolan Gray, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The sweeping vistas of the water, often dotted with lobster boats and sailboats, are among the area’s most memorable.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026
  • They’re also suited for specific boating environments, with canoeing most frequently seen in rivers, lakes, and shallower waters while sailboats are more tailored for wider distances and uses.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Barks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barks. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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