bleats 1 of 2

noun

plural of bleat
as in whines
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment a very patient, understanding person who accepts life's inconveniences without a bleat

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bleats

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bleat
1
as in complains
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 whimpers
to utter feeble plaintive cries the baby bleated softly as he woke up, then smiled

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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 bleats
Noun
Late that afternoon, Flint was sitting quietly against his tree and using a Primos can call to make bleats. — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 3 Dec. 2025 Busting out a box of instruments that turned the room into a riot of noise, Sheeran then encourage each student to share their unique sound into the mic, from saxophone bleats to fart sounds. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025 Not all Republicans agreed, but their bleats of complaint hardly suggested a Congress that had finally found the moment to reassert its institutional prerogatives. — Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleats
  1. moans
  2. complains
  3. whimpers
  4. complaints
  5. screams
  6. cries
  7. laments
  8. whines
Noun
  • In the decades after his death, Johnson’s loose playing and harrowing moans set American music on a path that would encompass Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, even Nas.
    — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
  • Sweet tweets, soft moans, the distant caw of a shore bird piloting toward the sea, spirited and hopeful, daylight already breaking through.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of moans
Verb
  • Adrian complains that McElwee, instead of making documentaries, should have followed the lucrative path of a Hollywood director, and even reproaches him for having turned down an offer to make a TV commercial.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
  • If he had been forced to stick with readily available materials, Rashid complains, the deck behind the house would have been green or brown.
    — Dean Kaufman, Curbed, 30 June 2026
Definition of complains
Verb
  • In the video, my dog Leo whimpers at the sound of whistles.
    — Meg Anderson, NPR, 27 Jan. 2026
Definition of whimpers
Noun
  • The aftermath of the fire has been litigious, with tenants accusing companies of not maintaining safety systems, ignoring complaints about fireworks and failing to secure the property after the fire.
    — Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 24 July 2026
  • Beretti and Cantone filed complaints with the Florida Department of Health, which, emails show, has begun investigating Guarino.
    — Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Definition of complaints
Verb
  • Another resident spoke of downloading a smartphone app to track decibel levels throughout the day, intending to document the noise of the coaster screams and report any violations.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
  • Pink grapefruit and blood orange accompany tangerine in creating a citrus-forward scent that just screams summertime fun.
    — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 23 July 2026
Definition of screams
Verb
  • In another concert, Mikis Theodorakis comes on stage with his son, and my father cries again.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
  • Since 2018, Microsoft has answered those curmudgeons’ cries with the Surface Laptop line, now in its eighth generation.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 9 July 2026
Definition of cries
Noun
  • Chattel slavery, in all its brutality, Sojourner laments, could not just be forgotten; African Americans needed to be compensated for centuries of hardship.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
  • Fines aren’t the answer to the EU’s laments, but better third parties are.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of laments
Verb
  • The snippet ends just as the cat whines and tucks its head beneath the barrier, not far from the officer filming the scene.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
  • Jessie whines about the good old days all the time — how fun is that?
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Definition of whines

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Cite this Entry

“Bleats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleats. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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