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
as in ship
a boat equipped with one or more sails
took a small bark out on the lake
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
And watching the Timberwolves goofs who’ve barked on social media eat their words is going to be absolutely quacktacular.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026
Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 15 Apr. 2026
Their spongy, reddish bark can grow to 2 feet thick.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bark
Verb
The family dog and their car were both outside, and the dog had been out for some time barking, according to the report.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
And watching the Timberwolves goofs who’ve barked on social media eat their words is going to be absolutely quacktacular.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
And don’t forget to add some winter interest plants with intriguing bark and berries, such as ninebark, paper birch, and winterberry.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 15 Apr. 2026
Their spongy, reddish bark can grow to 2 feet thick.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bark
Noun
-
The Navy has 16 warships — 11 destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, an aircraft carrier and a littoral combat ship — in the Middle East out of a battle force of roughly 300 total warships.—
Konstantin Toropin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
According to the Windward website, ship spoofing is the act of transmitting false information via the Automatic Identification System, requiring vessels to disclose tracking data, including the ship's name and identification number, as well as speed, heading and course over ground.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Unable to get down, Thompson remained in the tower until a Navy schooner attracted by the blaze came to shore and rescued him.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Bring your favorite bottle of bubbly and pick up a lobster roll flight from Off the Hook before setting sail on the Argia schooner, which accommodates up to 49 passengers.—
Morgan Rizzo,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Australia announced in August last year that the Japanese bid had won the contract to provide Australia’s next generation of general purpose frigates over Germany’s MEKO A-200 from Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The defense minister detailed an operation involving a Royal Navy frigate, a Royal Air Force patrol plane and hundreds of personnel deployed to deter a trio of Russian submarines that were detected near underwater cables in Britain’s economic exclusionary zone.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Palm Beach Motor Yachts has taken its supermaxi sloop to new heights—quite literally.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Now as sailors stepped out into the surf, a great crowd tried to take oars off the first sloop.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Guest-only experiences like catch-and-cook fishing outings and sunset yacht tours allow travelers to see—and taste—a different side of Charleston.—
Karla Walsh,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Or, if shopping isn’t your preferred vacation activity, take the bike to the nearby Intracoastal Waterway and traverse on Palm Beach Lake Trail, a bike- and pedestrian-friendly path that abuts the water’s edge that is lined with docked yachts.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Harry and Meghan then boarded a dinghy that ferried them to a sailing boat, where more Invictus Australia veterans were waiting.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The pair left The Abaco Inn bar on Elbow Cay in their dinghy at dusk on April 4, headed to their anchored sailboat just off the cay's western coast.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bark. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
