1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
as far as the slumlord was concerned, the unhappy tenants were just bleating about nothing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in whimpering
to utter feeble plaintive cries
the baby bleated softly as he woke up, then smiled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bleating
The man sitting in front of me—rugged, with a fine Rockwell Kent profile—tips forward and begins to emit gentle, bleating snores.
—
James Parker, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
And when her furry black-and-white friend follows her — bleating at her heels, eager for more affection — Kusimayu keeps walking.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Dec. 2025
But working with Stockholm Drain Gang veteran Bladee on the remix turns the song into a hyper-pop boss fight, with frenetic and bleating synths piling on the duo’s vocals.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The goat did a lot of bleating, baa-baa, and Malika joined in for the chorus.
—Joan Silber, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
The right is being horrifyingly plain in bleating their bigotry, but they’re also lost in linguistic obscurities.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
James Parker, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
And when her furry black-and-white friend follows her — bleating at her heels, eager for more affection — Kusimayu keeps walking.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Dec. 2025
But working with Stockholm Drain Gang veteran Bladee on the remix turns the song into a hyper-pop boss fight, with frenetic and bleating synths piling on the duo’s vocals.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The goat did a lot of bleating, baa-baa, and Malika joined in for the chorus.
—Joan Silber, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
The right is being horrifyingly plain in bleating their bigotry, but they’re also lost in linguistic obscurities.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleating
Verb
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Their relationship continued into the next year, 2018, when Lutnick emailed Epstein apparently complaining about an expansion plan for their neighboring Frick Collection art museum.—
Daniel Ruetenik,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
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The action comes as the legal gambling industry has been complaining that the state’s new per-wager tax on sports betting is driving gamblers to unlicensed websites.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a large tent, veterinarians and volunteers work together to place an IV into the leg of a small, whimpering puppy.—
Tavleen Tarrant,
NBC news,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In the fourth quarter, Hornets coach Charles Lee was tossed from the game and needed to be held back after screaming at officials following a no-call when his player, Grant Williams, collided with Pistons’ Paul Reed.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Police were notified that the man, later identified as Justin Rich, was screaming and damaging cars.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cue everyone with a fur baby of their own crying into their beer and chicken wings.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
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Flip the switch and the crying baby disappears.—
Adam Cheung,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But students who are spending their time protesting, whining about the grading system and seeking easy classes don’t seem to fit that mold.—
Mitch Zimmer,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
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Some had noisy bearings, which could sound like a whining noise.—
John Paul,
The Providence Journal,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While Slot was moaning about having to play two away matches in four days (and about missing a couple of key players), Emery, also without important figures such as Boubacar Kamara, was overseeing his Villa side playing the same tough schedule and win both games without conceding a goal.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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While lying on the pavement, he could be heard moaning as an officer shouted at him not to move.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The volume has gone up again since Ruben Amorim’s recent departure, muttering darkly about Gary Neville’s outside influence in particular.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2026
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The older lady who was muttering to herself in casting is there.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bleating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleating. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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