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
In the other, barking fell from 317 barks per hour to 53, an 83% reduction. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 Past research has shown that dogs can distinguish between words, male and female voices, other barks and even different languages. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026 There is a chorus of 14, singing sheep and a pair of dogs (hilariously portrayed by Catriona Hewitson and Edward Jowle), whose barks become words that Theresa understands as she becomes strung out. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 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 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
Verb
Others work automatically whenever the canine barks too loudly or too much. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 New people can still require an adjustment period for Lainey, who initially barks when meeting someone unfamiliar. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 Tight end Trey McBride said Brissett barks at the defense after making a big play, particularly at star safety Budda Baker, which spikes practice competitiveness. — Doug Haller, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Linnetz’s rambunctious wire-haired Viszla mix, Einstein, barks at what is unbeknownst to him one of the most legendary skateboards of all time. — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Other than the occasional barks from her dog, who doesn’t appreciate being locked away for guests, the witch’s home is peaceful and a far cry from the dank, dark cottages often found in folklore. — Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 Despite his breed, Genji has yet to discover the famous Shiba scream and, in fact, barely barks. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 Cumming barks in a jump-scare moment that takes the group by surprise. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026 The dog searches, finds the person, barks, and receives the toy as his reward. — Tibisay Zea, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barks
Noun
  • Built in 2022, The Prima is the first of six ships from the Prima Class, which is the brand’s first new class of ships in nearly ten years.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Three fuels expand options The ships’ tri-fuel engines can switch between heavy fuel oil, methanol and ethanol.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Across the conference table, Sosanya plays Beatrice like steel swaddled in cashmere, while Miles Jupp, as her colleague David, peels away his genteel snobbery to reveal an unexpectedly dorky underbelly.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
  • As autumn progresses, the husk peels back, revealing the orange berries.
    — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • O’Kane shouts when Tom Brokaw announces that one of the men suspected of plotting the attack has been detained.
    — Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities, shouts slogans during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa on September 10, 2026.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • That's particularly true at steakhouse Intrepid and open-air cantina 16o9—both of which are set above the harbor for incredible sunsets and clear views of the gleaming white super yachts.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In a setting designed to make exceptional yachts desirable, explaining why a particular vessel is unsuitable requires commercial discipline.
    — Christoph Lymbersky, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Holmberg jumps in his vehicle and catches up to McConnell as Lafayette County deputy Kenneth Lewie holds McConnell at gunpoint and yells at him to get on the ground.
    — Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Things escalate as the two share a car ride home from a fancy gala and the bad man yells at her for embarrassing him.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In 2026, Tokyo lifted its decades-long ban on exporting lethal arms and agreed to build three frigates for Australia and to jointly produce eight more.
    — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Those platforms include destroyers, aircraft carriers, amphibious ships, and frigates.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Day to day, as the city grows, there’s also the question of traffic, which snarls the city as public transit initiatives have repeatedly struggled.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Bridges along the Chicago River will lift almost a dozen times this fall to allow sailboats and other recreational vessels to return to their winter storage yards, the Chicago Department of Transportation said Monday.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Readers are whisked away to Jamaica and the Hebrides, the post-apocalyptic future and the medieval past, university lecture halls and modest sailboats.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barks. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster