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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
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 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
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
  • The effect created the illusion of two ships, leaving the enemy unsure which one to target.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
  • By treating the ship as an evolving platform, CSL and Adbri have bypassed the infrastructure gridlock that leaves many zero-emission concepts stranded on the drawing board.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of ship
Verb
  • Alonso threw his bat and shouted toward his teammates in the visiting dugout upon impact — an image Mets fans can instantly recall from his most famous long ball with New York in 2024’s wild-card series.
    — Will Sammon, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Emmys presenter and huge fan Marcello Hernández shouted out the newlyweds from the stage, saying hi to Zendaya.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 15 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
  • Stop and think of what the same bozos yelling about Sweeney would say if Lizzo was holding a couple of footballs over her rack.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • An employee who knew about Elliott’s miscarriage and worked that day also witnessed Sanders yelling at Elliott.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bark

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bark

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