1
as in cried
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 shouted
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 bawled
The baby bawled, the women and girls tiptoed, and at last Lina and the Brown family reached the ground and ran across the street.
—
Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
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
The kid just broke down and bawled.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2025
Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
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
The kid just broke down and bawled.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawled
Verb
-
Some collapsed on the ground at the cave’s entrance and were hugged by a group of workers who cried in joy.—
Jintamas Saksornchai,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
Some collapsed on the ground at the cave’s entrance, and were hugged by a group of workers who cried in joy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
The Four Seasons actress shouted out her husband, Jeff Richmond, ahead of their 25th wedding anniversary with her signature wit.—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
-
Several petites shouted out these wide-leg pants as friendly for smaller frames.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Brewer sobbed as McEvoy recounted his side of the story.—
Louisa Moller,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
-
Onlookers sobbed and smiled as the memorial played, and passed each other packets of tissues.—
Reeti Malhotra
May 23,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Agents yelled from every direction, and the thumps of a news helicopter overhead were deafening.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
Blue Jays manager John Schneider yelled at Pérez, but the situation did not escalate.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Chase Elliott wept under his sunglasses.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Angered by the demonstration, Keenan first screamed at the protesters and then spit in the face of one.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
There were so many cool sculptures and pieces of architecture that screamed to be turned into a puzzle.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bawled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawled. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
