as in to whine
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
Trump has also frequently complained about India’s high tariffs.
—
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
Santos complained in the days leading to his imprisonment that his pardon requests were not getting the President’s attention.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
Despite all of this, many climate advocates have complained that much of the British regulatory regime is moving more slowly than across the Channel in the E.U.
—Justin Worland, Time, 5 Aug. 2025
She was reinstated when tech billionaire and Trump supporter Elon Musk purchased Twitter and renamed it X -- but even then, Loomer complained to Musk that her account was being throttled and shadowbanned, two ways in which the platform is said to limit access to content.
—Will Steakin, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complain
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
Santos complained in the days leading to his imprisonment that his pardon requests were not getting the President’s attention.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
Despite all of this, many climate advocates have complained that much of the British regulatory regime is moving more slowly than across the Channel in the E.U.
—Justin Worland, Time, 5 Aug. 2025
She was reinstated when tech billionaire and Trump supporter Elon Musk purchased Twitter and renamed it X -- but even then, Loomer complained to Musk that her account was being throttled and shadowbanned, two ways in which the platform is said to limit access to content.
—Will Steakin, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complain
Verb
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The Blue Heeler/Catahoula mix doesn’t just whine and bark.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
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The sales exceptions seem to be backlist dystopian fiction and books by and for the fascists, that is, right-wing memoir and culture war whining.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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There's just a million things available and everything's screaming at you.—
Omaid Homayun,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Noem screams, before spotting a service dog in the crowd and shooting it.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The sound of a heavy machine motor moaned from a tractor evening out the soil covering an oval enclosure, about the size of a football field.—
Jon-Michael Banks,
Kansas City Star,
31 July 2025
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Liam was basically telling the people who were moaning about a younger band to get stuffed.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
Verb
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There has been some grumbling about use of the new data, but Nielsen executives believe the new Big Data elements have been accurately reflecting viewing patterns.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
5 Aug. 2025
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The British Treasury and the British taxpayer grumbled at the expense of maintaining dominance.—
MARGARET MACMILLAN,
Foreign Affairs,
21 July 2025
Verb
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Police searched for Best and his son Zeke for two days before a group of hunters came across the father naked in the snow alongside a local highway and muttering incoherently with baby Zeke laying dead nearby, PEOPLE reported at the time.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
28 July 2025
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Before immediately snapping, sighing loudly, or muttering a passive-aggressive comment, try pausing to consider what else might be going on first: Maybe your barista’s slammed with 10 other complicated orders, for instance, or your housemate had a brutal week at work.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
17 June 2025
Verb
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Now, conservation experts worry the road will propel more urbanization.—
Natalia Jaramillo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
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What to do instead: Don’t worry about getting your heart rate up during Pilates.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
SELF,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Complain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complain. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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