bark 1 of 3

verb (1)

Definition of barknext
as in to peel
to remove the natural covering of barking a tree will probably kill it

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bark

2 of 3

verb (2)

ˈbärk How to pronounce bark (audio)
as in to snarl
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bark

3 of 3

noun

as in ship
a boat equipped with one or more sails took a small bark out on the lake

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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 bark
Verb
She was awakened in the middle of the night by her barking dog and the sound of a woman screaming in the street. — City News Service, Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026 Cumming barks in a jump-scare moment that takes the group by surprise. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
And the fungal connection that Noël Bernard first discovered, the thread that enters the cells of the developing orchid, extends out of the cells and seeds and the roots and into the bark of the tree. — Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026 Textures feel nearly tangible, from the rough bark of the branch to the fine iridescence of the feathers. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bark
  1. snarl
  2. ship
  3. shout
  4. schooner
  5. yell
  6. frigate
  7. scream
  8. sloop
Verb
  • The 2012 Olympic gold medalist was named to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team in 2021 after snarling, dunking and driving with full force every play, every night.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The horns section snarled, the background vocalists riffed, and Olivia picked up multiple instruments herself – the tambourine, guitar, shakers, and the piano.
    — Sidney Madden, VIBE.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of snarl
Noun
  • In recent weeks, family members of Lincoln service members voiced worries about deteriorating mental health conditions aboard the ship, as well as sanitary conditions and food shortages.
    — Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Other sailors described to CNN conditions unlike their previous deployments, largely because of the war, which stopped the ship from making stops at friendly ports.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of ship
Verb
  • People in surrounding cars gawked, waved and, in one instance, rolled down their windows to shout something that went unheard, as Bonelli explained that the van had internal cameras that were always on but not always being watched.
    — Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026
  • When reporters shouted questions about the bombshell conversation, the future king at the time simply chuckled, remained silent and carried on walking.
    — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of shout
Noun
  • A couple of miles south, things were much quieter (and pricier) at Grand Banks, a schooner turned oyster bar docked at Tribeca’s Pier 25, with views of the Statue of Liberty and the Freedom Tower.
    — Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The sailing yacht is a replica of the legendary 20th-century schooner Elena.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of schooner
Verb
  • In the video, Chacon picks up the gun, and officers back away from the vehicle yelling at Chacon to put his weapon down.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In 2021, he was banned from attending basketball games for a season after yelling profanity at a player.
    — J.D. Miles, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of yell
Noun
  • China may be preparing a more heavily armed version of its Type 054B frigate, potentially giving the warship 50 percent more missile launch capacity than the first ships in the class.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Zelenskyy, who did not mention grain terminals, said Russia's Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov frigates, a large landing ship, a corvette, and other vessels were struck in the attack.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of frigate
Verb
  • She was awakened in the middle of the night by her barking dog and the sound of a woman screaming in the street.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Audio from her cousin's phone call to the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service captured 15-year-old Layan describing the chaotic scene around her, amid the sound of gunfire and screaming, before the call dropped.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of scream
Noun
  • Sailing aboard a 30-foot sloop on Acapulco Bay, Henry Kissinger kept a protective arm around his new wife, as a motorboat filled with the press corps followed.
    — Robert D. Mcfadden, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Just two days after the Hannah was underway, her crew captured the Unity, a sloop loaded with naval stores and lumber, supplies sorely needed by British forces in Boston.
    — Christopher Magra, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
Definition of sloop

Browse Nearby Words

baring
bark
barked
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Cite this Entry

“Bark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bark. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bark

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bark

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