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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
During the third quarter of the Indiana Fever's 113-90 win over the Sky at Wintrust Arena, Cloud began barking at Freedom, who was sitting courtside. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Rather than having dog kennels lined up across from each other like in traditional shelters, the New Leash on Life design will have kennels on one side facing a hallway to reduce barking and stress. — Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Noun
Covering exposed roots with soil can harm your tree by causing bark to rot and compromising its stability. — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 31 Aug. 2026 Avoid wounding the bark because any wound provides an entry point for the Seiridium fungus, which can’t be controlled with chemicals. — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 29 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
  • Traffic was snarled early Wednesday near Detroit Metro Airport with all lanes of eastbound of I-94 shut down for hours.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The hourslong closure snarled the morning commute into Sacramento, shutting down westbound Highway 50 between Hazel Avenue and Sunrise Boulevard.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of snarl
Noun
  • Forests delivered lumber to build ships and barrels for transporting goods that allowed the United States to become a global trading power.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The Panama Canal Authority has already begun to restrict the number and size of ships allowed to pass in 2026.
    — Steven Paton, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of ship
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
Definition of shout
Noun
  • Harry Kane’s schooner sails well wide of all that poofterish fluff with buckles and straps.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Set in Massachusetts in 1858, the novel tells the story of a 15-year-old boy who gets trapped aboard a schooner as it gets hijacked.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of schooner
Verb
  • Those who drive past our protests and yell insults or flip us the bird are to be pitied.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The film focused on a young Black reenactor at a historical slave plantation museum in the Midwest who yells at tourists and fights with the town’s racist mayor — played by Parker — was reportedly slated to go into production in the summer of 2024.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of yell
Noun
  • 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
  • Taiwan’s destroyers and frigates, many of which are based on 50-year-old American designs, are well understood and therefore institutionally safe choices.
    — HOLMES LIAO, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of frigate
Verb
  • Hathaway screams into a walkie talkie, encouraging them to jump out of the building.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Then, as the sparks fly behind him and the crowd screams in astonishment, the throat-busting roar of triumph.
    — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 8 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bark

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bark

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