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
Relevance
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
-
Néfissa cries loudly and with anguish about her son, but refuses to acknowledge his truth.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026 -
As the child incessantly cries day and night, Henry begins to have surreal visions that only an innovative mind like Lynch's could devise.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Yet there has been no panic internally, nor shouts from players or hierarchy to abandon the plan.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cannon weeps into an expansive white space that only she and Trish inhabit.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
17 Dec. 2025
-
In her new Disney+ documentary, The End of an Era, Taylor Swift weeps while reflecting on violent attacks and threats made against her fans during the Eras Tour.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The group can be heard praying while the man yells.—
Sarah Bahari,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Byrne yells at the rabbit, who appears to be staggering.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There are a few inarticulate screams and sobs but no dialogue, no lyrics, no spoken intro, no utterances at all.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The series ends as Eddie goes into Jamie's bedroom, sobs into the comforter and holds his teddy bear.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Earlier this month, a Gardena police officer responded to a report that there were whimpers and cries coming from a self-compacting trash can outside a church.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Jan. 2026
-
As the puppy lets out another barrage of whimpers, the kitten then looks directly at the camera, as if wondering casually what's going on.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Aquilla Sadalla’s wordless vocals, a gorgeous swell of howls and heaves, complement the arrangement without becoming the focal point.—
Mark Richardson,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The Wolf Moon name dates back to Indigenous and early Anglo-Saxon traditions, inspired by the winter wolves whose howls echoed across cold January nights.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These rock lamentations will not be carried over to the full-length album the band still has in the works, which Bono promises will have a more joyful tone.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Bawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawls. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
