bleated

verb

past tense of bleat
1
as in complained
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely as far as the slumlord was concerned, the unhappy tenants were just bleating about nothing

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2
as in whimpered
to utter feeble plaintive cries the baby bleated softly as he woke up, then smiled

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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 bleated The old man bleated out a laugh. — Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleated
  1. complained
  2. whimpered
  3. screamed
  4. cried
  5. whined
  6. moaned
  7. muttered
Verb
  • Irvine's sister, aunts and cousins attended Romero's court hearing in New York City Thursday and complained to reporters that the former police officer was allegedly receiving special treatment.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Prior Justice Department inspectors general have long complained about the limitations to their authority to investigate certain types of attorney misconduct.
    — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of complained
Verb
  • Over the course of two hours, witnesses watched and listened as Christa Pike cried, whimpered and snored through Tennessee’s attempt to execute her.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Pancho, a heavy-bodied Airedale, whimpered and rubbed against my leg with the expectation of excitement to come.
    — Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 15 July 2026
Definition of whimpered
Verb
  • Jean-Pierre took photos of celebrities arriving in flamboyant velvet suits, matching fur coats, towering hats, and golden platform shoes that screamed confidence and pride.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Peralta pumped a fist and screamed joyfully walking off the mound in the sixth after fanning Petey Halpin swinging at a 3-2 changeup.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of screamed
Verb
  • Another girl cried non-stop—possibly from fear and nervousness rather than sorrow.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • At one point, Blair cried with tears running down her face, and her lawyer Reitzas moved to wipe them from her face as Blair remained handcuffed during the proceedings.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of cried
Verb
  • Post-Covid, Hollywood has whined about the falloff for MPA fare in Pan Asian territories, particularly the once-robust South Korea.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 28 July 2026
  • After a few casts, Rubye’s rod bent, and the reel whined as line spooled out.
    — John Todd, Outdoor Life, 9 July 2026
Definition of whined
Verb
  • Coach Arne Slot moaned about VAR but his problems lie much closer to home.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 May 2026
  • Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Definition of moaned
Verb
  • The camera then cut to McCarthy, who muttered a profanity in response.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Heti stared at the drawing in front of her and muttered whatever under her breath.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of muttered

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Cite this Entry

“Bleated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleated. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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