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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of howl
Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
There is a howl whipping through the bare trees.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
There are monks and chainsaws and coffins and pops of yellow, and each costume makes Cumming howl in laughter.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for howl
Noun
The year's first full moon is best known as the wolf moon since the howls of wolves were more likely to be heard during winter, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
There is a howl whipping through the bare trees.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
Verb
Fans at my screening howled as ex-con maid Sydney Sweeney and desperate housewife Amanda Seyfried waged their hysterical suburban war.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
There are monks and chainsaws and coffins and pops of yellow, and each costume makes Cumming howl in laughter.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for howl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for howl
Noun
-
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
-
In some, relatives are seen walking among the black bags, trying to identify the deceased, as wails and screams fill the background.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Four Black commissioners, three white non-Hispanics and six Hispanics found common ground, voting 13-0 for repeal after a boisterous public debate that sometimes dissolved into shouts, jeers and catcalls.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
-
About 10 seconds later, as Berndt and Sobczak shout commands while approaching the vehicle with handguns drawn, gunfire erupts.—
Stephen Swanson,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Could Jacob Bridgeman hear the roars for Rory McIlroy’s 30-foot make and still finish?—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
With his athleticism and his bravado—his programs featured the world’s only quad axel and the only backflip, which always elicited a roar from the crowd despite earning him no points—Malinin looked poised not only to win but also to bring men’s figure skating into the mainstream.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy — The images of Lindsey Vonn down on the snow, screaming in pain and then being airlifted off the course by helicopter after her crash at the Olympics were a stark reminder of the dangers of the downhill.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
People didn’t scream out answers.—
Jeff Banowetz,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The shrieking young women are hilarious, as are their hairdos.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
-
McEntire shrieks between laughs, gesturing to the photographer.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The rooms With just 22 rooms, 14 of which are suites, Son Xotano is a far (and welcome) cry from the mega resorts that line stretches of Mallorca’s coast.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
-
On a typical day, the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale reverberates with animal cries and the footfalls of gawking visitors.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the consumer market, that silence has created noise.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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Ideal for bedrooms, nurseries, apartments with older doors, and homes with hardwood or tile floors, this $4 draft stopper can stop the chilly air from entering, while also muffling outside noises and blocking dust, pollen, and pests.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After the reporter posed the question, another member of the audience started yelling, prompting confusion from Tatum.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The video, which includes a trigger warning for harsh language, captures a person yelling at a volunteer to get out of the neighborhood.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Howl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/howl. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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