1
as in complained
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he was growling about how much work he had to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in roared
to make a long loud deep noise or cry
the neighbor's dog growls every time we pass the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of growled
The jaguar growled, whirled and bit off the protruding head of the arrow.
—
Delbert L. Chears, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
Come on, the gunman growled, turning and walking and beckoning with the pistol for Adi to follow.
—Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The dog growled and Esposito slowed his pace.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Jan. 2026
Delbert L. Chears, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
Come on, the gunman growled, turning and walking and beckoning with the pistol for Adi to follow.
—Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The dog growled and Esposito slowed his pace.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for growled
Verb
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At that point, a strange odor in the cabin was reported, and flight attendants complained of sudden illness.—
Colleen Mondor,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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In the early days of COVID, people complained of losing their sense of taste or smell.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Standing there as the fire roared on and the crowd around her grew, the strong community support was already apparent.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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The Dodger Stadium crowd roared at the sound of contact, cheers growing louder as Kyle Tucker’s single made it through the right side of the field and Alex Freeland trotted home to finally break a persistent tie.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Panthers fans excitedly rumbled in his mentions.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
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Two skiers died and five others were injured on Saturday when an avalanche rumbled down on them in the Italian Alps, in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, the mountain rescue service said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The tow truck operator screamed at the sedan’s driver.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 27,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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The son screamed and stopped the attack.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At the dilapidated Ring of Bookan, a herd of bulls trundled toward me and bellowed, forcing me to retreat.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
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The same 60 Minutes that Trump bellowed against and sued over edits to a sit-down with Kamala Harris last year — a lawsuit that held up David Ellison‘s $8 billion purchase of Paramount until a $16 million payout was handed over to a gloating POTUS.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
1 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Robbins was replaced at center by Adam Treu, the Raiders lost 48-21 to a Bucs team led by former Raiders coach Jon Gruden and teammates openly grumbled about Robbins in the aftermath.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Judy Garland grumbled into a tape recorder in the mid-nineteen-sixties.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Never whined, even as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s play deteriorated last season.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
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The children jumped for joy after winning a game of cornhole; others fell and whined in defeat, but got up to play again.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Growled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/growled. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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