1
as in cries
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 shouts
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawls
Verb
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In episode 3, which came out in April, Howard’s character cries when Seth Rogen’s studio head character gives him a difficult piece of feedback, resulting in Howard angrily throwing his signature baseball cap at him.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025 -
Fraser threatens to leave but doesn’t and ends up being the one to comfort Kyle, who cries about having hurt his friend.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Joe shouts as the snarling lobos close in.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Kylie, 33, shouts in the background, trying to prevent an accident.—
Georgia Slater,
People.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As Tetyana weeps, the soldier gently admonishes her fuss.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Joe goes back outside—again he’s seen from Ted’s perspective—and yells at him to turn the music down.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
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In a noisy, uncertain world, your team does not want someone who yells the loudest or moves the fastest.—
Scott Hozebin,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Darcey sobs as Georgi continues to defend himself for not easily opening up to others.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Dever threw the compliment right back at Pascal and Ramsey, for the scene when Ramsey’s Ellie sobs over Joel’s lifeless body.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The leitmotif of unanswered doorbells, unacknowledged wails, and unsoothed whimpers punctuates the passivity of Epure’s surreal world.—
Olivia Bennett,
Variety,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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More importantly, the most recent of these sightings, just two years ago, was by a railroad passenger, so keep a lookout for a tall, hairy figure, or for massive footprints, which are also commonly reported, and listen for the mysterious creature’s spine-tingling howls.—
The Editors,
Outside,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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What can be dizzying about the collection is the way traditional themes of Yiddish song and Hebrew liturgy — lyrics of resilience in the face of persecution, prayers of consolation for the brokenhearted, Lamentations read on Tisha B’Av — are recast with the Palestinians as their protagonists.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Aug. 2025
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An artwork from the series Wall of Lamentations by Santiago Montoya that was on view in March at Halcyon Gallery, in London.—
Harper’s Magazine,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawls. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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