as in snorts
a vocal sound made to express scorn or disapproval
the referee's questionable call was greeted with a chorus of boos
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Recent Examples of boos
CBS News, 18 June 2026
But in the match’s two mandatory hydration breaks, loud boos rained down from the stands.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2026
Amid a near-capacity Levi’s Stadium crowd Tuesday night at Levi’s Stadium, there were flags, cheers, jeers, boos, light shows, a brief scuffle, highlight goals and even a wave across over two raucous hours of World Cup soccer.
—Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Of taking a difficult vote and immediately hearing boos from the audience.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026
Up in the stands, fans waved their own flags — including some sneaked in over the objections of FIFA and the courts — and wrestled with emotions, as boos, howls and hisses rained down from all corners of the stadium.
—Rick Maese, Washington Post, 16 June 2026
When the Iranian national anthem began, it was greeted by a chorus of lusty boos.
—Alex Connor, USA Today, 16 June 2026
As boos rang out, Kate, who had been waving at the crowd, maintained a neutral expression, dropped her hand, and stopped waving.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 15 June 2026
After the crowd was getting restless with some boos, Mexico has added to its lead.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 June 2026
Noun
There were boos from the crowd for the first one in the game Tuesday between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
—CBS News, 18 June 2026
But in the match’s two mandatory hydration breaks, loud boos rained down from the stands.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2026
Amid a near-capacity Levi’s Stadium crowd Tuesday night at Levi’s Stadium, there were flags, cheers, jeers, boos, light shows, a brief scuffle, highlight goals and even a wave across over two raucous hours of World Cup soccer.
—Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Of taking a difficult vote and immediately hearing boos from the audience.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026
Up in the stands, fans waved their own flags — including some sneaked in over the objections of FIFA and the courts — and wrestled with emotions, as boos, howls and hisses rained down from all corners of the stadium.
—Rick Maese, Washington Post, 16 June 2026
When the Iranian national anthem began, it was greeted by a chorus of lusty boos.
—Alex Connor, USA Today, 16 June 2026
As boos rang out, Kate, who had been waving at the crowd, maintained a neutral expression, dropped her hand, and stopped waving.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 15 June 2026
After the crowd was getting restless with some boos, Mexico has added to its lead.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boos
Noun
-
The Rodents of Unusual Size that attack Westley in a swamp work because they are played by small men in rodent suits, rather than coolly conjured from pixels; their deliberate artifice is the thrill, and Reiner provided the voice for their hideous snorts.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Gaga hisses to her hair and makeup team after Priestly swans away.—
Nigel Smith,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
-
Carrie’s voice hisses in my ear.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Commencement speakers across the country have been met with widespread jeers over the past month, mostly in skeptical response to statements about a pending workplace evolution related to AI.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
-
In his first season, Partey made 32 appearances for Villarreal, where the jeers and whistles have followed him.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Especially women, with all those drunken servicemen rolling through, packs of them, fights spilling out of the cafés, catcalls and spitting in the streets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
For Dua, puberty and social maturity become knotted up in unpredictable notions of bodily harm (whether acted upon, or merely threatened), as Serbian boys and men harass her on the way home from school, lacing their catcalls with ethnic slurs.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boos.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boos. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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