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
Relevance
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
However, the animals did survive and seemed set on helping their family survive too, repeatedly bleating and stomping on the debris covering the bunker.
—
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 21 May 2026
Players started bleating, serenading James with sounds deserving of the GOAT — greatest of all time.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
Justin Fletcher returns as the bleating voice of Shaun and the flock, joined by John Sparkes, and Kate Harbour as voice talent in the dialog-free feature.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
When Sneaky Snook in his mail truck happened upon the wreckage near the boundary of Meredith Downs, sheep were scattered along the roadside and the fence, bleating, dazed.
—Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
Here came Corgan, bleating a ballad that was genuinely moving, and people wanted to hear it.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026
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
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 21 May 2026
Players started bleating, serenading James with sounds deserving of the GOAT — greatest of all time.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
Justin Fletcher returns as the bleating voice of Shaun and the flock, joined by John Sparkes, and Kate Harbour as voice talent in the dialog-free feature.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
When Sneaky Snook in his mail truck happened upon the wreckage near the boundary of Meredith Downs, sheep were scattered along the roadside and the fence, bleating, dazed.
—Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
Here came Corgan, bleating a ballad that was genuinely moving, and people wanted to hear it.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleating
Verb
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The move was met with outrage, with fans criticizing the singer for jumping the gun and complaining that the weather had cleared up before becoming too serious.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 June 2026
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Doja Cat is most likely referring to voice notes, or the audio post feature, which seemed to be discontinued on X sometime in early 2025, according to user posts complaining that the feature had been removed.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Verb
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As the timer passed seven minutes, Steve Eckert exhorted a whimpering young man to dunk his head underwater.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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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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And watching the videos of the people jumping out of their chairs, screaming, cheering was so cool.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
2 June 2026
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An exasperated Tomás enters the thicket himself to retrieve, among other items, Liam’s boot, and doesn’t emerge until the next day—not screaming, but fundamentally changed.—
Nora Biette-Timmons,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Fans are probably lining up for scones in hopes of spotting Ashley crying behind the counter.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
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Both Jesse and Ashley were emotionally distraught and crying throughout the video.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
Verb
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And how about the Liberty players and coaches whining about it?—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
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In other words, the league no longer wants to be in the business of fining people for playing Cody Williams and John Konchar in the fourth quarter, or listening to other GMs whining about it.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The process left Carruthers bleeding and moaning on May 21, according to the witness, Maria DeLiberato, senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union's Capital Punishment Project.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
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The stuff with a load of people wearing wigs moaning about taxes just isn’t seen as very glamorous.—
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
Verb
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An edgy confrontation The Rangers were still seething as Keenan attempted to address the team following a demoralizing 3-1 loss, with a few snapping back or muttering under their breath.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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On Tuesday, cameras caught Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing muttering something after looking back at the Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee, who was in discomfort after an awkward slide at home plate.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bleating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleating. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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