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bawls 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bawl
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

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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

bawls

2 of 2

noun

plural of bawl
as in shrieks

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Dissimilar Words

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 bawls
Verb
Willis, who is heterosexual, bawls much like Carl Bean. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawls
  1. cries
  2. shouts
  3. whimpers
  4. weeps
  5. yells
  6. howls
  7. sobs
  8. yowls
Verb
  • On the floor, my brother cries into the carpet, pawing at the ground.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In the kitchen, Shannon cries because Vicki, who was so excited about this trip, has basically gone nonverbal.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of cries
Verb
  • O’Kane shouts when Tom Brokaw announces that one of the men suspected of plotting the attack has been detained.
    — Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities, shouts slogans during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa on September 10, 2026.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of shouts
Noun
  • At the hospital in Dollow, mothers sat shoulder to shoulder on narrow beds holding frail children, some too weak to cry while others let out soft whimpers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Definition of whimpers
Verb
  • Swiss skier Melanie Meillard weeps in the arms of her teammate Janine Schmitt after missing a turn on her slalom run Women’s Team Combined Slalom.
    — Staff Photographer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Cannon weeps into an expansive white space that only she and Trish inhabit.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
Definition of weeps
Verb
  • The film focused on a young Black reenactor at a historical slave plantation museum in the Midwest who yells at tourists and fights with the town’s racist mayor — played by Parker — was reportedly slated to go into production in the summer of 2024.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The officer points a flashlight inside the back window, yells toward another officer nearby, then gets on his radio.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of yells
Noun
  • The howls of outrage from an undisclosed location in Europe reached our shores.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Their chorus of howls and yowls was all that kept them connected to the hunters who lagged far behind.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of howls
Verb
  • My public screening was awash — nearly literally — with sniffles and sobs.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The dramatic clip finds Reid and a male love interest performing an armed robbery at a convenience store before enjoying a romance and running from the cops — who ultimately cuff the man in the end, as the Missing star sobs in fear.
    — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
Definition of sobs
Noun
  • Their chorus of howls and yowls was all that kept them connected to the hunters who lagged far behind.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of yowls

Browse Nearby Words

bawl out
bawls
bawls out
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Cite this Entry

“Bawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawls. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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