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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shout
a loud vocal expression of strong emotion
heard howls of laughter from the children watching the clown's silly antics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in roar
a violent shouting
the crowd let out a howl of protest over the referee's call
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to shriek
to cry out loudly and emotionally
the boy howled in pain when his baby sister bit him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 howl
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Such prices have set off howls of protest from some fans.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026
With a pummelling rhythm and howling guitar, the new song from fata morgana makes a desperate race against the doom loop.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for howl
Noun
Yet masculinism also functions as a perpetual-motion machine of grievance, an inarticulate howl of anguish at the status quo—whatever that currently is.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
Such prices have set off howls of protest from some fans.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
In an ideal world, progressives would have howled about how wrong that was, but progressives were the beneficiaries of Twitter’s malfeasance, so the company’s censorship was seen as acceptable, even desirable.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026
With a pummelling rhythm and howling guitar, the new song from fata morgana makes a desperate race against the doom loop.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for howl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for howl
Noun
-
Three species of bats inhabit the site, and supernatural events—including the appearance of the gamekeeper’s ghost and the wail of a banshee—have been reported.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
-
The wail of fire trucks can be heard as passersby stopped to record the scene.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Oli’s shout for Manzambi is a good one.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
Stick with alcohol-free, subtle formulas so the scent settles into the fabric rather than shouts from it.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Fellow attacker Akram Afif fell to his knees in both joy and disbelief after the final whistle blew, taking in the roars coming from his countrymen who had made the long trip to the United States.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
-
In the massive stadium in Inglewood, usually home to football games, the stands thundered with the roar of fans, with 70,492 in attendance.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The keeper could do nothing but flail and then turn and scream in frustration at his defense’s failings at the crucial moment.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
Elena called for Harold, who ran out in his boxers — both men screamed at each other and threatened to call the cops.—
Olivia Bensimon,
Curbed,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Raph and Grant keep tasting wasabi Oreos, with Raph shrieking and Grant grimacing.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
-
The dark cellos of Guðnadóttir chop and grind, and Washington—shrieking, swiping, maddened at the air—flees into the forest, a disappearing uniform.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The band members were surprised when fans unfurled a banner emblazoned with their lyrics, singing them as a rallying cry.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
The following Story shows Emmy hooked up to various wires and tubes in the hospital as Morgan holds her in her arms and cries.—
Georgia Slater,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Hikers and walkers should also make noise when out in bear country, especially at dusk and dawn, and dogs should be leashed and supervised.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Ambient sounds, nature recordings, white-noise tracks and ASMR-style content can generate passive income through YouTube, Spotify and other streaming platforms.—
ByBryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The living room can turn suddenly cold and cavernous, with Joe and Angela yelling at each other across an emotional chasm.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
-
People can be heard yelling in the background.—
Louis Casiano , Stepheny Price , Brooke Taylor , Jasmine Baehr , Brie Stimson , Kelsie Cairns , Reagan Schroeder,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Howl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/howl. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
