as in to scream
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the time-honored tradition of new recruits complaining about the food in the mess hall
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of complain
However, Reece said that his mother began to complain of a headache and dizziness, prompting her to sit down and rest later in the day.
—
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Down the road at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola used to complain his club didn’t have enough of it to call upon, particularly on European nights when United and Real Madrid could reach back into the past for belief.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Any of the three could have been first, and no one would have complained.
—Les Carpenter, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2026
Local businesses along the busy tourist strip complained that foot traffic from events was down and that the building was becoming an eyesore.
—Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complain
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Down the road at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola used to complain his club didn’t have enough of it to call upon, particularly on European nights when United and Real Madrid could reach back into the past for belief.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Any of the three could have been first, and no one would have complained.
—Les Carpenter, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2026
Local businesses along the busy tourist strip complained that foot traffic from events was down and that the building was becoming an eyesore.
—Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complain
Verb
-
Hearing the Creature screaming his name, Victor turns back.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Jan. 2026
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For all the talk about home-field advantage and the Bears needing their fans to scream 20 percent louder and be 30 percent drunker than usual, past precedent shows that won’t matter much.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Illinois Republicans have turned whining into an artform.—
Paul Miller,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
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First came Notre Dame whining over missing out on a College Football Playoff invite.—
Greg Cote
December 14,
Miami Herald,
14 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Strapped to a stretcher in the back of an ambulance, the shooting victim moaned, then screamed.—
Lauren Caruba,
Dallas Morning News,
2 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
-
Trump in remarks before a House Republican retreat in Washington grumbled that Democrats were not giving him credit for a successful military operation, even though there was bipartisan agreement that Maduro was not the rightful president of Venezuela.—
Regina Garcia Cano,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
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Arizona mounted a steady 76-yard drive moments later, capped by Deguara's first TD catch since 2021 to spark grumbling in SoFi Stadium.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The camera then turns to James Austin Johnson, who played the president, sleeping and muttering New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s name.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Dec. 2025
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On the plane, Dick clutches the slingshot and begins sweating and muttering to himself before becoming unresponsive.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Paster is not worried in the slightest.—
Alice Newbold,
Vogue,
12 Jan. 2026
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The proposal is a concern for many council members, who worry that such an amendment, if approved, could jeopardize their positions.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Complain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complain. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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