as in snort
a vocal sound made to express scorn or disapproval
the band's sloppy playing produced only catcalls from the crowd
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catcall
Eric Hansen, Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2020
When the 43-year-old came to the stage here at a university student center in the Detroit suburbs, about half of the crowd gave her a standing ovation – and the other half unleashed a chorus of boos and catcalls.
—Griff Witte, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019
There were catcalls from a disappointed Orediggers sideline, in an attempt to shout down the young Lions cornerback, who firmly stood his ground, wearing an unbeatable smile that’s a blessing of his genes.
—Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2019
Should the rare Dolphins touchdown bring cheers or catcalls?
—Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2019
See All Example Sentences for catcall
Noun
Meet the Fighting Irish opponents, dates and locations for 2020, along with a prominent returning opposing player Indianapolis Star
SOUTH BEND — Brian Kelly hears the whispers, which sometimes probably feel more like catcalls.
—Eric Hansen, Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2020
When the 43-year-old came to the stage here at a university student center in the Detroit suburbs, about half of the crowd gave her a standing ovation – and the other half unleashed a chorus of boos and catcalls.
—Griff Witte, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019
There were catcalls from a disappointed Orediggers sideline, in an attempt to shout down the young Lions cornerback, who firmly stood his ground, wearing an unbeatable smile that’s a blessing of his genes.
—Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2019
Should the rare Dolphins touchdown bring cheers or catcalls?
—Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2019
See All Example Sentences for catcall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catcall
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
-
The page gave a deep snort, hocking a chartreuse wad against the root of the nightingale’s birch.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
19 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The 25-year-old appears to have gone off the boil, and has been jeered by fans at the Bernabeu on more than one occasion this season.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
But he was overwhelmed by the jeering chorus of students.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
McDonald’s is spreading a little festive sneer this holiday season with the release of a brand-new menu inspired by Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Nov. 2025
-
Burnett tried several versions in a row: first deadpan, then with a sneer of sarcasm, pursing her lips in judgment.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Miss Manners is not trying to insult you herself.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
17 Jan. 2026
-
As the President insults allies, woos dictators, and spurns long-standing commitments, Rubio has to convince his counterparts that America will not entirely abandon its friends.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The bus drivers do nothing to enforce the rules, and we seniors are left trudging down the bus aisle while the people in the seats smirk, look at their phones and talk to each other.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2026
-
In the video, Castela sings these words with a knowing smirk.—
Carolina Abbott Galvão,
The Dial,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This soft approach is easy to ridicule, but the Europeans have been able to point to some successes since deploying it.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Their studies, documentaries and papers are often debunked, ridiculed and dismissed by experts on vaccines and immunology.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Upon jeers from the crowd following the win, Putintseva cupped her hand to her ear to mock the fans, resulting in loud boos.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The first set of boos at Madison Square Garden broke out just 4 minutes and 50 seconds into the second quarter as Cooper Flagg took his speed to another gear and scored a transition layup to give the Mavericks an 18-point lead.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Throughout the conflict, The Free Press wrote from an unambiguously pro-Israeli point of view, deriding both pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses and the coverage of the war in mainstream outlets, including this magazine.—
Clare Malone,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
-
In evaluating the building’s future, Dallas might consider the example of New York’s Penn Station, a monumental work of architecture derided as dilapidated in the 1960s, and torn down for a development including an arena.—
Mark Lamster
Architecture Critic,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catcall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catcall. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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