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
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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
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Recent Examples of bawled
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
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
-
Jonathan Kennedy, a tow truck operator, cried too.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 27,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Classmates held pink flowers and cried, and her grandparents thanked everyone for coming.—
Angela George,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The officers shouted overlapping commands, telling LaMorie to stop and drop the knife before firing seconds later.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
King shouted, his voice echoing.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Haugh buried his head in the hardwood and sobbed.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Elena sobbed when her parents told her that the nanny wouldn’t be taking care of her anymore.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Those who yelled were drowned out by the chanting and singing.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The lawsuit also said that when complaints were made about the harassment, they were not properly investigated and the employees were subject to retaliation, including being given double shifts, being accused of wrongdoing and being berated and yelled at by supervisors.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Both hosts often wept as Guthrie described her emotional journey through the increasingly discouraging investigation into her mother’s whereabouts.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
-
My sister, who is a doctor and usually the stoic one, wept.—
Amanda Peet,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The tow truck operator screamed at the sedan’s driver.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 27,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The son screamed and stopped the attack.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bawled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawled. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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