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
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
-
The term refers to employees retreating to office restrooms—not just for bathroom use but to decompress, cry, scroll their phones, calm down or escape workplace pressure for a few minutes.—
ByBryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
So why did the fan favorite wake up crying on finale day and continue shedding tears in the dressing room right before the live show began?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
Hart responded to a March 27 call for service and arrived to find a woman yelling for help.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
-
Nobody screams or yells; the Marsies just fire back, and M-6 troops continue to fire in response.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
22 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 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
