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
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
The goat did a lot of bleating, baa-baa, and Malika joined in for the chorus.
—Joan Silber, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
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
The goat did a lot of bleating, baa-baa, and Malika joined in for the chorus.
—Joan Silber, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleating
Verb
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So, what Rodriguez and Cohen Higgins are complaining about is what happens four and five years or even ten years down the line.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
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Follow these mowing etiquette tips to avoid being the one that your neighbors are complaining about on Reddit.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 May 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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On the night that everything changed, one of them would end the night screaming, and the other, in my opinion, didn't scream enough.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
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Dramatic doorbell camera video shows the moment the man ran out of her home, and Cooper can be heard screaming in the background.—
Tara Lynch,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Djena remembered her mother crying as her father drove her away.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Videos published on social media this week show groups of crying women and children pleading for help.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Last week, the whining noise of unmanned flying objects could be heard in the city of Moscow once again.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
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Luke's demise and Boyega's whining about the Black stormtrooper weren't the only reasons Disney's three movies failed.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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There are kerfuffles down at the hardware store, and a moaning moose makes his presence known near the motel where Ulysses is staying.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
17 Apr. 2026
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But a male voice could be heard moaning in the background.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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From a long-quiet wingman who dispensed with six years of muttering under his breath and spoke with a cold-blooded certainty that announced his arrival as a force to be reckoned with.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
1 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 20 May. 2026.
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