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
Jim Rearden, Outdoor Life, 5 Nov. 2025
Many were left bawling after seeing such a genuine interaction caught on camera, while others asked why the dogs sleep in a kennel outside.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for bawl
Verb
Instead of leading the bear to me, the dogs took the mad and bawling critter right past me.
—Jim Rearden, Outdoor Life, 5 Nov. 2025
Many were left bawling after seeing such a genuine interaction caught on camera, while others asked why the dogs sleep in a kennel outside.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for bawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawl
Verb
-
Fans lined up at meet-and-greets, holding her, crying, sharing their own experiences of assault and survival.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
-
His attorney also submitted a video of Banfield learning of his wife's death, crying at times into his bloodied hands while a doctor patted his back.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Agents detained one observer as others blew whistles, yelled at them, and recorded video on their phones.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Ellis then claimed that Cardi cut her face with a fingernail and spat on her while yelling profanity and racial slurs at Ellis.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The children’s play area was my favorite spot during the years when my own children were small, filling it with shrieks and laughter.—
Mathew Joseph,
Mercury News,
7 Dec. 2025
-
The shrieks of revelers on boats, canoes, and dinner cruises mingle and come up to me like a chorused taunt.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In the photo released by the White House, Armstrong is sobbing, her mouth hanging open in despair.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
-
But in this version of the photo, Levy Armstrong is pictured sobbing, with visible tears streaming down her cheeks and her mouth open.—
Maggie Harrison Dupré,
Futurism,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The crowd, rapidly swelling into the hundreds, screamed insults and obscenities at the agents, some of whom shouted back mockingly.—
Jack Brook,
Twin Cities,
25 Jan. 2026
-
While the officers secured the detainees in the van, Arturo Gonzalez, 23, shouted into a megaphone promising that this would not be the last time protestors take such actions.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
No suspicious whine in the air, no burning of pungent oils to put off biters.—
Antonia Quirke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
-
These are no longer the days of whine and turned-up noses.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
30 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Children in classrooms across the country fell silent as their teachers wept at the loss of a colleague.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Le started weeping and embraced Ewing, as the parents and students wiped their eyes alongside him.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bill Belichick’s resume screams one-way ticket to Canton, Ohio, but when he wasn’t voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, many were left flabbergasted on Tuesday night.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Under the watchful eye of sheriffs deputies who threatened to ticket anyone caught standing in the road, along with a small number of National Guard members, the protesters took turns screaming swears and warming up in nearby parked cars.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawl. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
