hoots 1 of 2

plural of hoot
1
as in shouts
a loud vocal expression of strong emotion the courtroom erupted in hoots of laughter upon hearing the witness's sarcastic retort to the lawyer's arrogant remark

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in snorts
a vocal sound made to express scorn or disapproval he ignored the hoots and jeers coming from the back of the crowd and kept on speaking until he'd had his say

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4

hoots

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hoot

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 hoots
Noun
Their hoots and hollers drowned Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s explanation of how a title defense fell short. Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 31 May 2026 Wiseman said to hoots from the crowd of media gathered at the site. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026 Owl hoots are most effective at striking up turkeys when owls are naturally active, which is around dawn and dusk. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026 Cowboy and cowgirl hoots and hollers complement the rumbling of the massive animals’ hooves as they’re rounded up into the corrals. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025 There are hoots and hollers from raucous tourists on Bourbon Street, for example. Matt Alderton, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025 There are a few hoots and hollers as the others agree or protest. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2025 All the segments understand the assignment, aiming primarily to elicit hoots and hollers. James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025 The town hall crowd received my comments with strong clapping and appreciative hoots and hollers. Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoots
Noun
  • On the side of the highway, the night is a cacophony of blaring horns and the shouts of drunken men.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • There were possible penalty shouts, hard tackles that were not whistled for fouls, soft calls on Egypt that were ignored when similar plays were made by Argentina.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
Noun
  • The Rodents of Unusual Size that attack Westley in a swamp work because they are played by small men in rodent suits, rather than coolly conjured from pixels; their deliberate artifice is the thrill, and Reiner provided the voice for their hideous snorts.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Turay’s glassy guitar licks have a Metheny-ish tint to them, while Bemis opts to ride quick, slinky rhythms rather than abusing his crash cymbal.
    Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
  • The championship match turned into a free-for-all with everyone trying to get their licks in before the official woke out of his slumber.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026
Noun
  • Two soldiers who initially seemed kind took her into the jungle, held her at gunpoint and raped her while holding her mouth shut to stifle her screams.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • Bernthal screams, pointing down at the vomit (which is thankfully off-screen for the rest of us).
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 July 2026
Verb
  • This is the sort of pure 1980s batshit monologue that prompts both oh-my-Lord gasps and howls of laughter, and Neill nails the whole thing.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026
  • Up in the stands, fans waved their own flags — including some sneaked in over the objections of FIFA and the courts — and wrestled with emotions, as boos, howls and hisses rained down from all corners of the stadium.
    Rick Maese, Washington Post, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • That's what happens when your star insults moviegoers or goes off on tangents about the characters's sexuality.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Ohm quickly insults nearly every employee at this small hotel within moments of meeting them, except for the young, pretty bartender, Fiona (Florence Ordesh).
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Some 30 seconds into flight, lightning struck the rocket, leading to awestruck cries from crowds gathered nearby to watch the launch.
    Brett Tingley, Space.com, 24 July 2026
  • Down the hall, just a few seconds later, a different woman gave birth to a little girl named Yasmina, whose cries could hardly be heard over the sound of the explosions around her.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
Noun
  • Fox stayed with the shot of Trump for just a few seconds before cutting to an aerial shot during which the boos can still be heard.
    Tom Tapp, Deadline, 19 July 2026
  • As the two men walked out onto the field, boos could be heard coming from the crowd.
    Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 19 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hoots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoots. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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