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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
New people can still require an adjustment period for Lainey, who initially barks when meeting someone unfamiliar. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 After hearing his little, old hard-of-hearing dogs barking, Thomas Vander Wende woke up and went outside his cabin at Green Valley Lake. — Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
Separate area for the microphone or sensor that detects the sound of the bark. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 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 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 film opens upon a typical grumpy New York day, with traffic snarling the streets and horns honking.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The superload is expected to snarl traffic for the next four months as 50 loads will make the trip.
    — Jessica Riley, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of snarl
Noun
  • Some of the guests on board had upcoming bookings for the top-of-the-line (and priced like it) ship, though many remained quite fond of our Le Lyrial.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • New assistants, agents and editor plug-ins ship every month aimed squarely at engineers, who are bombarded with ads and news about each release.
    — Rob Black, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of ship
Verb
  • The two of them spent the rest of the night pressed together in the crowded bar, shouting at each other to be heard over the sound of drunk youth.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • What began as a pointed statement quickly expanded into a communal anthem, driven by a hook built to be shouted back.
    — Brittney Williams, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of shout
Noun
  • In 1861, the first naval engagement since the start of the Civil War took place as the USS Colorado attacked and sank the Confederate private schooner Judah off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Harry Kane’s schooner sails well wide of all that poofterish fluff with buckles and straps.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of schooner
Verb
  • The veteran coach congratulated his team for the win and quickly pivoted to yelling about mental mistakes that kept Houston County in the game.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Some demonstrators cursed at police officers holding riot shields, while others yelled out as passing cars honked in support of the protest.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of yell
Noun
  • In a separate incident Tuesday, Denmark said a Russian frigate fired flares toward a Danish military helicopter conducting routine surveillance over the Baltic Sea.
    — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The system completed a year of testing aboard the German frigate Sachsen, during which its tracking, command, and engagement technologies were evaluated under maritime conditions.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of frigate
Verb
  • The payoff to that trick leaves Kumail and Gianmarco screaming, first in thrilled disbelief at what Jake pulls off, then in frustration at Maria’s vote.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, Williams screamed out in pain and could not carry himself off the field.
    — Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 20 Sep. 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 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bark

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bark

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