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
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Children with the virus may be fussy and sleepy throughout the day, and cry without tears.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Garner later showed how emotional the moment made her by posting a series of photos on Instagram of herself crying.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Slattery has a knack for giving big performances that also feel nonchalant, almost like he’s been there in that backyard the whole time yelling about lettuce, and a TV production just happened to set up shop around him.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
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Perkins can be seen yelling toward someone, while coaches on his team were pushing him away to alleviate the tension.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
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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
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Henley's voice crested toward a shriek.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Rose, though, reddening in the triangle between his eyes and nose, begins to sob.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
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After the verdict was read, Cyrus' family sobbed and cried in the courtroom gallery, according to the Associated Press.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Verb
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He was menaced in the English countryside last month by a man shouting at him from 50 yards away, according to British outlet The Telegraph.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2026
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The leads can be overwrought, shouting lines across the stage while the Gothic-style doorways, sharp directional lighting and ooh-ahh practical effects do their complicated dance.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
Noun
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The guilt of a stack of unread books is a low constant whine at the back of your head.—
Philip Maymin,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
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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
Verb
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Essex County is now weeping million-dollar and multi-million-dollar homes.—
Hannah Selinger,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
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Advocates with Mexican Heritage Plaza, SOMOS Mayfair, and Si Se Puede Collective watched the building burn and wept.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Verb
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On the witness stand, the teenager was reportedly combative and flustered by Jackson’s attorney Tom Mesereau, who attempted to poke holes in Gavin’s testimony and allegedly screamed at the boy throughout.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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Jay practically embarrassed Mase, then a pop rapper at Bad Boy Records, not by screaming but by sounding amused.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawl. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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