as in protesting
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Dissimilar Words
as in whining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the time-honored tradition of new recruits complaining about the food in the mess hall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of complaining
Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 30 May 2026
Now in the possession of Kelly Kilpatrick (Cherry Jones), Deborah, dragging a complaining Ava with her as a kind of opposite beard, decides to con Kilpatrick and her wife Monica (Leslie Bibb).
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Destefani said that detainees were still complaining about being served expired or nearly expired food and that, as a result, did not want to eat.
—Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 29 May 2026
After clashing with Clark during the game, Hayes was caught on a hot mic complaining that officials were favoring the Fever star.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 May 2026
The East African man was driven to the hospital right away after complaining of an eye problem.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
Not that O'Keefe is complaining.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
Expect the Spurs crowd to be all over the refs again after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 free throws attempts on Tuesday and there was a sequence that led to Spurs coach Mitch Johnson getting a technical foul after complaining to the refs.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Andri Luescher isn’t complaining.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Adjective
An energy vampire has bad body language, the complaining look on their face, the vocal complainer.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
Hegseth had some choice words for Europe, complaining that allies in the region hadn’t pulled their weight.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 30 May 2026
Now in the possession of Kelly Kilpatrick (Cherry Jones), Deborah, dragging a complaining Ava with her as a kind of opposite beard, decides to con Kilpatrick and her wife Monica (Leslie Bibb).
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Destefani said that detainees were still complaining about being served expired or nearly expired food and that, as a result, did not want to eat.
—Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 29 May 2026
After clashing with Clark during the game, Hayes was caught on a hot mic complaining that officials were favoring the Fever star.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 May 2026
The East African man was driven to the hospital right away after complaining of an eye problem.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
Not that O'Keefe is complaining.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
Expect the Spurs crowd to be all over the refs again after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 free throws attempts on Tuesday and there was a sequence that led to Spurs coach Mitch Johnson getting a technical foul after complaining to the refs.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Andri Luescher isn’t complaining.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complaining
Adjective
-
The death toll includes at least 19 children, 21 non-protesting civilians, and 165 in government or security forces.—
The Hill,
The Hill,
17 Jan. 2026
-
Among the dead were 13 children and 14 non-protesting civilians, HRANA said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
On May 16, firefighters at Station 8 heard a dog whining outside and went to investigate.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 May 2026
-
Last week, the whining noise of unmanned flying objects could be heard in the city of Moscow once again.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
In a moody backdrop echoing the track’s music video, the group brought their slick track to the thousands of screaming fans.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
-
As crews assessed the situation, the driver was heard screaming to a nearby officer that a baby was inside the vehicle.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
The stuff with a load of people wearing wigs moaning about taxes just isn’t seen as very glamorous.—
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
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There are kerfuffles down at the hardware store, and a moaning moose makes his presence known near the motel where Ulysses is staying.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
An edgy confrontation The Rangers were still seething as Keenan attempted to address the team following a demoralizing 3-1 loss, with a few snapping back or muttering under their breath.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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On Tuesday, cameras caught Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing muttering something after looking back at the Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee, who was in discomfort after an awkward slide at home plate.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fan and player discontent (as suggested by so many squad members apparently endorsing Salah’s recent social-media post grumbling about the team’s style of play), coupled with a failure to achieve the bare-minimum requirement this season, would surely make Slot’s position untenable.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
20 May 2026
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Reddit commenters are grumbling about the no-bag policy, though many seem to accept it as the price of a global festival in 2026.—
Steven Blum,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Before worrying about advanced technology, look at your foundation.—
Boris Dzhingarov,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Lindsay is very real for worrying about her pit stains.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Complaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complaining. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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