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
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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
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Recent Examples of bawl
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Crowds of hundreds with their heads lowered bawled loudly in unison; others fell to the ground and shook in their grief.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
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
Both men bawled in a viral clip that brought their accomplishment into full focus.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Crowds of hundreds with their heads lowered bawled loudly in unison; others fell to the ground and shook in their grief.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
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
-
Though the arrest took place over three years ago, the case garnered new attention in March when TMZ published a video of the altercation, which showed Paul putting Mortensen in a headlock and throwing chairs at him while a child could be heard crying.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
On the side, my two best friends were crying with laughter.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Adonis yells as Gillis begs him to pull over.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
In the video, which was captured by a bystander and later shared online, Cardi can be seen yelling at the NFL player, 32.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Less than 30 seconds later came the shriek of the two missiles that lanced through Turmus’ car.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
-
Henley's voice crested toward a shriek.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Leah asked while sobbing in an interview.—
Anna Peele,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
Snedeker sobbed like a baby during a brief meeting with the media following his heartbreak at Augusta in '08.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The fans sang soccer chants and shouted players’ names.—
Warren Mayes,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
-
But both camps have shared stories of harassment from the other side, including removing campaign literature, shouting at volunteers, and online bullying.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Both motors stay at or below 45 dBA even at full power, something that will genuinely surprise anyone used to the whine of current-generation motors.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 10,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The whine from that straight-cut gearbox alone is painfully loud, say nothing of the wide-open exhaust on the 4.0 L flat-six.—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Almodóvar lets the entire song play out, as Elsa and her boyfriend weep.—
Jada Yuan,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
-
The three-hour-plus drama — about two women brought together by terminal illness — moved the audience in the Palais greatly, with many viewers weeping openly during the credits.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Bringing up the video stops Kyle in his tracks, and his reaction screams guilt.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
20 May 2026
-
As the good Samaritans tried in vain to reach her, Gocaj could be heard screaming.—
New York Daily News,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawl. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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