CRIES Synonyms: 134 Similar and Opposite Words

cries 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of cry

as in sobs

to shed tears often while making meaningless sounds as a sign of pain or distress some kids started to cry even before the doctor had given them their shot

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Relevance

as in sings

to utter one's distinctive animal sound we knew that we were getting very close to the ocean when we could hear sea gulls crying

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sings
calls

as in shouts

to speak so as to be heard at a distance a mother crying for help

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cries

2 of 2

noun

plural of cry

as in howls

a loud vocal expression of strong emotion a cry of despair arose when the smoke of the bomb blast cleared

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in calls

a natural vocal sound made by an animal the lonesome cry of a coyote

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as in slogans

an attention-getting word or phrase used to publicize something (as a campaign or product) "A chance to change America" was the cry on which the candidate was hoping to win the White House

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as in appeals

an earnest request the king was deaf to their cries

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as in screams

a sudden short emotional utterance cries of disbelief greeted the announcement of the surprise winner for best picture

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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 cries

Verb

In the spot, Shane sits in a middle seat next to a chatty flier while a baby cries in the background. —

Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026 New phone footage leaked to TMZ appears to show Paul putting Mortensen in a choke hold and hurling metal chairs at him; a child cries. —

Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 Many first-time parents worry about how others might react if a baby cries on a flight, but experienced travelers say those concerns are often unnecessary, Kay said. —

Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026 An old movie in which a character cries at old movies takes an even faster path to tears, yet even then, age is the subject. —

Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026 Néfissa cries loudly and with anguish about her son, but refuses to acknowledge his truth. —

Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026 Paranoia and loneliness are what I'm left clinging to as my husband cries in the room next door. —

Mason Leib, ABC News, 2 Feb. 2026 As the child incessantly cries day and night, Henry begins to have surreal visions that only an innovative mind like Lynch's could devise. —

Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026 Sophie holds back and cries in her room. —

Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026

Noun

That, of course, and the occasional ghostly presences, unsettling cries, and blood dripping from the ceiling. —

David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026 Two hikers who heard her cries rushed in and called 911. —

Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026 The girl responded through cries that her mom was locked inside a bathroom. —

Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026 His funeral drew hundreds of first responders, marching in a seaside procession in the Mediterranean city of Tyre, his mother's cries heard over the shuffle. —

Lauren Frayer, NPR, 5 Apr. 2026 Sean said the dogs knocked his mother to the ground and continued attacking her as a passerby, who heard her cries from about a block away, rushed over on a bicycle to help. —

Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026 Ave Maria, Florida — One Wednesday this month, loud cries erupted from two teenage girls huddled over a cellphone in the parking lot of a local supermarket. —

Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026 The episode ends as John walks out among Carolyn’s cries. —

Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 20 Mar. 2026 Cara could hear the dead, including the cries of her infant son calling her to visit the bay’s shores every night. —

Omari Weekes, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cries

Verb

The glow of hundreds of candles illuminated somber faces, sobs often cutting through the silence in the crisp spring air.

— Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
The recording of the call is harrowing and gut-wrenching as Denise Lee sobs and begs for her life.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026