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 scream
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
Wafaa Shurafa, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
More importantly, the most recent of these sightings, just two years ago, was by a railroad passenger, so keep a lookout for a tall, hairy figure, or for massive footprints, which are also commonly reported, and listen for the mysterious creature’s spine-tingling howls.
—The Editors, Outside, 31 Aug. 2025
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025
With no cell service, my two spoiled house pets immediately rebranded themselves as wild animals—sniffing, digging, howling at the moon, and rolling in whatever smelled the worst.
—The Editors, Outside, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for howl
Noun
Michel Iluz, whose son Guy Iluz was killed while captive in Gaza, shouted into the microphone at the Jerusalem protest, the pain in his voice mounting to a howl.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
More importantly, the most recent of these sightings, just two years ago, was by a railroad passenger, so keep a lookout for a tall, hairy figure, or for massive footprints, which are also commonly reported, and listen for the mysterious creature’s spine-tingling howls.
—The Editors, Outside, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
The verse resumes, and the band soldiers on, Lenker’s perseverant guitar solo howling with the weary relief of a shipwrecked sailor spotting land.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025
With no cell service, my two spoiled house pets immediately rebranded themselves as wild animals—sniffing, digging, howling at the moon, and rolling in whatever smelled the worst.
—The Editors, Outside, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for howl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for howl
Noun
-
Her wails make Davina recall her own confinement, where she was treated similarly awfully and responded by cursing the women in the room.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
5 Sep. 2025
-
An ambulance siren wails past, coming up from the river.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There were shouts and even a near miss from a water pistol.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
8 Sep. 2025
-
An eclectic mix of Web3-native headlines, from sales stats to upcoming events to brief artist shout outs, make this missive a must-read for any follower of the tokenized digital art community.—
Ana María Caballero,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Nestor Lorenzo’s team lost form and went six games without a victory, but James' goal brought a roar and relief to the entire country.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The dull roar from the construction site cuts out.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For subscribers, that makes now the perfect time to catch up on the horror film that had audiences shrieking, laughing and running to Reddit to compare notes.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
But Shea is still the ultimate image of fan hysteria — a massive swarm of Beatlemaniacs gathered together for a night of communal rapture, bonded in music, shrieking their lungs and brains out.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Deputies arrived to the sound of screaming and found the 16-year-old Elijah Quintero on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Curtis Pleasant remembers wading through the water, chest deep, screaming and searching.—
Suzette Hackney,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
When two people pop a small confetti cannon into the air, Speed launches himself back with a cry, knocking over the set and barely missing the cake that has his face on it.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
-
If the cries to help the common fan were relatively silent then, what’s the truly new and pressing need for them today?—
John Cassillo,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has reported that there is already noise about Pittsburgh pursuing a trade for Hill.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The Las Vegas formula of maximalism—24/7 noise, crowds, queues, and constant spend—clashes with a mood that prizes sleep, space, and self-regulation.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Daniel yells after jabbing his net into the bank.—
Wesley Bruer,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
-
As Mamdani was delivering his opening remarks, a man with a shirt that read Cuba and a Cuban flag approached the stage, yelling that Mamdani was a Communist.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Howl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/howl. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share