1
as in to cry
to shed tears often while making meaningless sounds as a sign of pain or distress
he bawled for days after his dog died
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to yell
to speak so as to be heard at a distance
the mover was bawling for help as the refrigerator was about to slip out of his hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 bawl
Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
As the weekend’s big game approached, David Singleton could have staged his own super bawl.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2022
Mike Combs, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2025
Realizing her suspicions are now confirmed, and her name is on the wheel a total of 13 times, Irina falls to her knees and bawls her eyes out.
—Joelle Goldstein, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bawl
Verb
Instead, similar to other animals, newborn babies produce a heartbreaking (and ear-piercing) bawl.
—Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
As the weekend’s big game approached, David Singleton could have staged his own super bawl.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2022
Noun
Then the barking would change again to bawling — the bear was off again.
—Mike Combs, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2025
Realizing her suspicions are now confirmed, and her name is on the wheel a total of 13 times, Irina falls to her knees and bawls her eyes out.
—Joelle Goldstein, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawl
Verb
-
Back home, Kerzka cried in the shower.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Diddy cried as the 11-minute clip featuring home video of his family played in the courtroom.—
Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Multiple neighbors either called the police or yelled at the attacker to get away from the girl, court documents reveal.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
29 Sep. 2025
-
At one point the kid started copying him and was yelling the same things and the family was laughing.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But that doesn’t give a sense of how absorbingly otherworldly the film is, with its wordless beginnings and its shriek of a score from Jonny Greenwood.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The rapid approach of the animal—seemingly out of nowhere—prompted shrieks and a chaotic dash as tourists rushed to safety.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Marta’s brothers sobbed with the desperation of years, with childish anguish.—
Mariana Enriquez
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Resilience requires community Behind the dressing room door of Boots and Jeans, Linda Connelly heard a man sob.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Turn to face the shore, tread water, and signal for help by shouting or waving your arms.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Bilge Ebiri shouted out Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite, one of his favorites out of Venice.—
Morgan Baila,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The unfiltered electric soundtrack of the Evija goes from a piercing whine to an ear-splitting shriek.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Moscow’s escalating air war and the distinctive whine of Shaheds is now forcing Ukrainians out of their beds and into shelters and metro stations on an almost-nightly basis.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Women clutched children in their arms, weeping uncontrollably.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Earlier, Combs wept as his defense lawyers played a video in court portraying his family life, career and philanthropy.—
Jennifer Peltz,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When the Target employees announced the launch, the fans screamed and were called up to the counter one by one.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Adults and children alike were pulled from their Chicago apartments, crying and screaming, during a large overnight raid that has left tenants and neighbors shaken.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawl. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share