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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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
Church bells, owl hoots and sprinklers keeping the grass hydrated during this dry spell fill the space between the occasional motor trudging along a main road devoid of commotion. Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalizations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles. Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026 With a few hoots and hollers, and even a couple clucks, the group took off on their ascent to the Betty Bear Hut. Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 30 July 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoots
Noun
  • His appointment earlier this month on a 3-1 vote by the board drew boos and shouts from the public.
    Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Clive and Roosevelt at last heard the shouts of the others and the wild baying cry of the lead dogs, unable to bring the bear to a full bay but easily able now to keep it in sight.
    Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 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
  • Opening with the title track, feedback-heavy licks set the temperature as Dillom catches us up on the escapades of recent years.
    Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Their eponymous debut features some tasty licks and haunting solos and should be an immediate listen for any fans of the genre.
    Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The screams at a Michigan bar in New York invoked Underwood’s name.
    Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • While the Silo 17 citizens are getting murdered en masse, Troy has the image switched to a thermal map and has the audio cut off, so that the people look like colored blobs — and so their screams go unheard.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The sharp howls after a patient traveling from abroad presented with a full-term fetal demise?
    Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026
  • At night, the coyote howls echo through the development keeping residents awake.
    N. Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 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
  • Walmart has heard your cries, as this early Labor Day deal is a treat for sore eyes.
    Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This seven-year-old girl pulled from the rubble after rescue workers heard her cries.
    ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Eventually, overwhelming boos from the rest of the crowd directed at the people fighting, and then security arrived to handle it.
    David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • At Kinnick Stadium, deafening boos greeted the Cyclones on their sideline in warmups, before kickoff and after halftime.
    Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hoots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoots. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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