complained

past tense of complain

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 complained In the meantime, residents of the Los Angeles neighborhood have complained of respiratory symptoms, and local businesses have tried to push on while feeling the economic impact spurred by the haze that has become a daily — and anxiety-inducing — occurrence. Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 June 2026 But passengers complained of a lack of information, hotel rooms were not available everywhere, and some travelers' journeys stretched through the night. ABC News, 24 June 2026 For example, when Rhode Islanders complained about how the British ship Gaspee was attacking their ships without mercy in its hunt for smugglers, the Royal Navy waved away the colonial government. Robert Parkinson, The Conversation, 24 June 2026 Swift’s ex-BFF Blake Lively (and her husband Ryan Reynolds) were reportedly not invited to the celebration, and Star reported that a number of guests complained about being invited without a plus one. Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026 The players complained of surprisingly being forced out of the locker room as soon as possible after their first match against New Zealand. Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 23 June 2026 But before long, professors complained that incoming freshmen lacked even rudimentary math skills. The Week Us, TheWeek, 22 June 2026 Customers complained, some bitterly, and AMD heard and granted their demands. Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 22 June 2026 Activists are optimistic Both countries complained to FIFA in December. Andrew Destin, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complained
Verb
  • Elena called for Harold, who ran out in his boxers — both men screamed at each other and threatened to call the cops.
    Olivia Bensimon, Curbed, 17 June 2026
  • As the clock ran out, years of pain were screamed out in Frost Bank Center as the Spurs’ home court sounded like it was parked in Times Square on New Year’s Eve.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • Traffic hummed and whined on I-85.
    Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 13 May 2026
  • Second, in a report of their own, the pro-business commissioners whined that all of this was unfair.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • Coach Arne Slot moaned about VAR but his problems lie much closer to home.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 May 2026
  • Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.
    Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • In the shadows of the long-hut, the elders muttered among themselves—of portents and crops and weather and the storage of grain.
    Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
  • As for one consistent complaint heard muttered amid bleary-eyed guests of the former Standard, Schrager confirms the appropriate adjustments have been made.
    Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • While diehards have grumbled about the two intervals, which enable media partners to air as many as 10 in-match commercials per game, the opportunity to squeeze some extra revenue out of the FIFA mandate has been too lucrative for Fox to pass up.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 June 2026
  • Fans grumbled and became apathetic.
    Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • But local opposition has been rising too, with communities worried about the power and water demands of the centers, as well as any potential health effects.
    Asia Alexander, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • People who worried that recycling or reselling a device would compromise their data were 14% and 9% more likely to store it instead.
    Eric Williams, The Conversation, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Jack White, who growled and grinded as the singer/guitarist of the White Stripes and has since positioned himself as a primal rock god on his own, is showing a new side as a sculptor with a show opening in a London gallery run by none other than Damien Hirst.
    Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
  • Mira growled into her watch, excitedly.
    Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Complained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complained. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

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