1
as in wail
a crying out in grief
we had to endure the puppy's mournful howls on her first night in our house
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2
as in shout
a loud vocal expression of strong emotion
heard howls of laughter from the children watching the clown's silly antics
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3
as in roar
a violent shouting
the crowd let out a howl of protest over the referee's call
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1
2
as in to shriek
to cry out loudly and emotionally
the boy howled in pain when his baby sister bit him
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of howl
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
With his singular, deafening howl, Lindberg helped put At the Gates at the forefront of Gothenburg, Sweden’s melodic death metal revolution.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Held in May of last year, the dinner saw walkouts and howls of dissent as Ari Emanuel tore into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what the super-agent saw as an overkill response to the October 7 attacks.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for howl
Noun
Known for their loud personalities, huskies are no stranger to using their voices, but a video of a senior, deaf husky's silent howl is proving that even without sound, the breed still speaks volumes.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
With his singular, deafening howl, Lindberg helped put At the Gates at the forefront of Gothenburg, Sweden’s melodic death metal revolution.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
As the season shifts toward winter, the polar jet stream begins to shift south and can stir up storms that produce howling winds and gigantic waves in November on the Great Lakes.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Held in May of last year, the dinner saw walkouts and howls of dissent as Ari Emanuel tore into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over what the super-agent saw as an overkill response to the October 7 attacks.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for howl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for howl
Noun
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So, on the night after the murder, the town’s streets were filled with anguished cries from the Inuit—wails of loss and pain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The electric version starts the same, but that plaintive wail sounds more like a call to mischief.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Sounds of loud trilling shouts after silent hunts, and singing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Up ahead, two men argued, their shouts and curses drowning out the hum of a helicopter that circled in the distance.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The other funnymen of the time—Milton Berle with his lewd suggestiveness, Jackie Gleason with his baleful roar—did the same shtick over and over.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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Finally, with the boom of a cannon and the roar of the crowd, each team member and coach rubs Howard’s Rock for luck before hurtling down the hill toward the home sideline.—
Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Chuck and Jim loved the sounds of spaghetti westerns, an influence instantly recognizable in the war-cry screaming sound that permeates his score.—
Bear McCreary,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
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Left to die, breathless and alone, Invisigal chokes while Robert screams from the other end of the comms.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In the black and white clip, which appeared to be taken inside the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's private theater room, Harry and Zajfen were seen sitting in chairs while Markle was heard shrieking excitedly off camera.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Screaming and shrieking, the drama between the bridesmaids is thick.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There’s going to be a lot of oohs and aahs and cries and laughs and love.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
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Women from the village, who were down washing clothes in the river, heard the cries and rallied the community to help, Dumasá said.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Should the Tigers end up missing a bowl game, the noise will grow much louder.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
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Their noise got loudest at night when the city became quiet.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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While in the parking lot, Veliz reportedly drove against traffic and yelled out gang slogans.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
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Whoever dispatched that ambulance might be one of many employees at the Department of Emergency Communications who have felt uncomfortable, yelled at and trapped between their calling to help people and what several current and former dispatchers have called a hostile work environment.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Howl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/howl. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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