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
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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More recently, a project to construct community hubs for each of Harvey’s six wards has been in limbo, with residents complaining about the blight created by the unfinished construction sites at the most recent City Council meeting.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
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Everybody’s complaining about somebody.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 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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Something changed, though, because the next morning, Van Lent and Eikenberg entered into a screaming match in Naja’s office for everyone to see.—
Michael Adno,
Rolling Stone,
3 Mar. 2026
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In a post on Monday, the rescue said Denali has been screaming in pain and doesn't want to eat or get up.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Men were seen hugging and crying, resting against shuttered storefronts, unable to contain their grief.—
Max Butterworth,
NBC news,
1 Mar. 2026
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Telling a child to stop crying sends the message that their feelings don't matter.—
Vicki Glembocki,
Parents,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After months and months of ceaseless whining about the doxxing of ICE agents, there hasn’t been a single peep from Attorney General Pam Bondi about the future of facial recognition in Meta glasses.—
Sarah Jeong,
The Verge,
1 Mar. 2026
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Extra points are awarded here to families who avoid any whining about this.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 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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Old friend Daniel Vladar was spectacular in making 26 saves, several of which had Morgan Geekie (nine total shots, five on net, two blocked, two misses) muttering to himself.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
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Then, while there was still enough light to see them plainly, the two came stalking out of the brush, growling and muttering.—
Doris DeCleene,
Outdoor Life,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bleating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleating. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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