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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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
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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
Mike Lillis, The Hill, 10 Oct. 2025
In the middle of the forest, the only sounds biologist Kimberly Rosvall could hear were the croaks of nocturnal frogs and the distant howl of a coyote.
—Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2025
Marc Malkin, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
January’s full moon is called the Wolf Moon because wolves were more likely to be heard howling at this time.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for howl
Noun
The long recess has drawn howls of protest from Democratic leaders, who have returned to Washington to demand negotiations that might lead to a bipartisan spending bill that could reopen the government.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 10 Oct. 2025
In the middle of the forest, the only sounds biologist Kimberly Rosvall could hear were the croaks of nocturnal frogs and the distant howl of a coyote.
—Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
Stalter and Downs had the crowd howling with their commitment to the bit.
—Marc Malkin, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
January’s full moon is called the Wolf Moon because wolves were more likely to be heard howling at this time.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for howl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for howl
Noun
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Ride the thrill of Hostile Design’s passionate wails and percussion overload when the group headlines eight shows to kick off the new year, making their way across California, Rhode Island, Quebec, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and Illinois with the same energy that once fueled their humble beginnings.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 Jan. 2026
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With the band mostly back together, the Minnesota Wild made the goal horn wail enough for their seventh straight win on Saturday.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Normally, scent voices are mere whispers compared to the screams and angry shouts of humans, but in that section, certain sensitive plant species shrieked incessantly because of their proximity to plants that hindered their growth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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Chowhouse also gave a shout out to Nimki, a pop up brand by Beard Award finalist for Emerging Chef was Nikhil Naiker, that will move from Courtland Club to Club Frills this January.—
Rin Velasco,
The Providence Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
An onboard synthesizer manipulates a small set of core sounds to mimic everything from the roar of a jet plane to the flushing of a toilet through a little speaker in the Brick.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Jan. 2026
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The people want to see Varang’s fierce roars!—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Hearing the Creature screaming his name, Victor turns back.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Jan. 2026
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For all the talk about home-field advantage and the Bears needing their fans to scream 20 percent louder and be 30 percent drunker than usual, past precedent shows that won’t matter much.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Normally, scent voices are mere whispers compared to the screams and angry shouts of humans, but in that section, certain sensitive plant species shrieked incessantly because of their proximity to plants that hindered their growth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
This seems to me as offensive to rationality as a saint shrieking into the air.—
Christian Wiman,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Property Insurance If property taxes are the House GOP’s flagship affordability issue, property insurance has become the Democrats’ rallying cry.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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Demonstrations have included cries in support of the shah, something that could bring a death sentence in the past but now underlines the anger fueling the protests that began over Iran’s ailing economy.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Integrated linear actuators provide high power density with low noise, supporting stable, agile, and coordinated whole-body movement.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Jan. 2026
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There are two immutable truths that govern the NFL playoffs — unwritten rules that cut through the noise of EPA models and talking-head bluster.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The complainant alleged that Young yelled and became hostile before striking them in the chest with a closed fist while the vehicle was stopped.—
WBFF STAFF,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Jan. 2026
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Onlookers yell that the man can’t breathe.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Howl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/howl. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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