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
Washington Post, 21 July 2021
Distillers bury their faces in their hands and bawl after learning MLB’s winter meetings will go virtual.
—Nick Canepa Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Oct. 2020
Joseph Earl Thomas, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Instead, similar to other animals, newborn babies produce a heartbreaking (and ear-piercing) bawl.
—Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bawl
Verb
That night, Faris saw a woman near her bawl and wide-eyed grown-ups run.
—Washington Post, 21 July 2021
Distillers bury their faces in their hands and bawl after learning MLB’s winter meetings will go virtual.
—Nick Canepa Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Oct. 2020
Noun
My mother and sister were bawling their eyes out, burrowed against me.
—Joseph Earl Thomas, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Instead, similar to other animals, newborn babies produce a heartbreaking (and ear-piercing) bawl.
—Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawl
Verb
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Cena even blamed Truth for making that kid in Brussels cry.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
The scream, the adults in the living room knocking over chairs and flying towards the terrace, Mr. Tiago and the boy’s father diving in with their clothes on and everything, the women standing at the pool’s edge in panic, crying.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Umpire Mark Wegner #14 and manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees yell at each other during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park on May 13, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Aug. 2025
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On Monday morning, Florence Welch posted a video of herself digging a hole and yelling in it… First of all, relatable.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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After a brief chat with the other players in my group, we are whisked down stairs and along corridors – whose décor is akin to that found in a Scottish castle – passing doors from which come shrieks of denunciation and denial.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
4 Aug. 2025
-
In one particularly raw moment, a woman studying the photographs let out a sudden shriek.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
Myrtle Cook of Canada sobbed almost out of control.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
31 July 2025
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His three children and U.S. citizen wife sobbed in the car.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
31 July 2025
Verb
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After beating Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins in a 1-on-1 drill to start Tuesday’s joint practice, Mitchell shouted in the direction of several media members who witnessed him make Wiggins look bad at the line of scrimmage.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
6 Aug. 2025
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Thelma was the only one who kept rushing forward, shouting, Harold is shot!—
Joshua Sharpe
August 6,
Literary Hub,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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
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That is, until you are subjected to the relentless whine of mosquitoes.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 July 2025
Verb
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Some saluted, others wept and some bowed their heads as the casket, draped in the American flag, was carried to the front of the stage.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
2 Aug. 2025
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My filet was cooked to a picture-perfect medium with a shock of glistening butter weeping down the sides.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
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There's just a million things available and everything's screaming at you.—
Omaid Homayun,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Noem screams, before spotting a service dog in the crowd and shooting it.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawl. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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