as in whined
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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Recent Examples of complained
Steele complained to Apple about the manager twice, but the conduct did not change, according to the lawsuit.
—
Reuters, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Small artists also complained about a 2024 change where Spotify stopped paying artists with fewer than 1,000 streams.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
When Brian Kilmeade complained about the size, joking that sandwiches this large often require a fork, Han offered some playful advice.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
For seven years, while the Torre K23 hotel was under construction in Havana, the locals complained furiously.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Phillips’s tenure was not without controversy, as evinced by the tumultuous 2019 negotiations between leadership and unionizing staff, who complained of poor work conditions and low pay.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 Sep. 2025
When reporters complained to Hegseth’s office about the move, officials removed four additional news outlets, including The Hill, from their desks.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 28 Sep. 2025
Students and their parents complained, insisting that the group be allowed to commemorate Kirk.
—Hadley Hitson, Nashville Tennessean, 28 Sep. 2025
Summerlin also complained about how she was treated in prison, according to the filing.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Reuters, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Small artists also complained about a 2024 change where Spotify stopped paying artists with fewer than 1,000 streams.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
When Brian Kilmeade complained about the size, joking that sandwiches this large often require a fork, Han offered some playful advice.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
For seven years, while the Torre K23 hotel was under construction in Havana, the locals complained furiously.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Phillips’s tenure was not without controversy, as evinced by the tumultuous 2019 negotiations between leadership and unionizing staff, who complained of poor work conditions and low pay.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 Sep. 2025
When reporters complained to Hegseth’s office about the move, officials removed four additional news outlets, including The Hill, from their desks.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 28 Sep. 2025
Students and their parents complained, insisting that the group be allowed to commemorate Kirk.
—Hadley Hitson, Nashville Tennessean, 28 Sep. 2025
Summerlin also complained about how she was treated in prison, according to the filing.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complained
Verb
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When the Target employees announced the launch, the fans screamed and were called up to the counter one by one.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman screamed on the mound.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
From the other room, the victim moaned.—
Stephanie Kuzydym,
The Courier-Journal,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Yankees fans have moaned and groaned about Aaron Boone’s deployment of Williams in crucial situations this season, and it’s only exacerbated now that every game counts in the postseason race.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But the other 3%, often muttered by students prospectively examining transfer applications, is distinct.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Although full disclosure, those two words were muttered in the press box Sunday after Nix had thrown two unsightly picks through the first three quarters of the Broncos’ win over Tennessee.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once the launchpad for Oscar juggernauts from Slumdog Millionaire to La La Land, TIFF has in recent years watched rivals Venice and Telluride siphon away its prestige premieres, while buyers grumbled about thinner slates and softer deal flow.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Sep. 2025
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His son hugged him, and Frazier grumbled with his team about what might have been.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But critics worried that any surplus designation would expose the city to unwanted development that could ultimately include housing, because once the Surplus Land Act is invoked, the law requires affordable housing be prioritized on the property.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
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However, sharp spending cuts have angered many, while a recent electoral defeat for his party worried investors ahead of a key legislative vote in October.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Complained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complained. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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