howl 1 of 2

noun

Definition of howlnext
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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howl

2 of 2

verb

ˈhau̇(-ə)l How to pronounce howl (audio)
1
as in to scream
to make a long loud mournful sound several coyotes began howling close by as the sun went down the wind howled on the open plain

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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 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
Noun
As a message, Prima Facie is still a howl of rage and a plea for change. — Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2026 The Slingshot surges forward as the tach swings toward redline, the exhaust emitting a guttural howl. — William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
Isaias made landfall as a hurricane late Friday on the Florida Panhandle, lashing the Gulf Coast with heavy rains and howling winds that toppled trees, flooded coastal highways and left hundreds of thousands of people without power. — Laura Chung Laura Chung Laura Chung Laura Chung Laura Chung Laura Chung Laura Chung, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2026 At the Irish Rep, director Ciarán O’Reilly has brought O’Neill’s expressionist howl back for a swift, sturdy, smaller-scale revival that now feels unnervingly on-the-pulse. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for howl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for howl
  1. wail
  2. shout
  3. roar
  4. scream
  5. shriek
  6. cry
  7. noise
  8. yell
Noun
  • Had likely started calling hospitals, shouting his name and description over the baby’s guttering wails, into the ears of phone operators and receptionists all over town.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • When the sun goes down, the wind picks up in central New Mexico, whipping through arid canyons with a ghostly howl that for centuries, locals have likened to the wails of the folkloric ghost La Llorona.
    — Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of wail
Noun
  • Sai is trying to talk to Carole about their differences and shouts across Erin’s Upper West Side townhouse, screaming her name.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The shouts of rejection came in part because there was a plausible scenario under which James would have opened the season at Madison Square Garden in a Knicks uniform.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of shout
Noun
  • The merger’s gravitational roar in a fraction of second is equivalent to the amount of energy our sun emits in over a billion trillion years.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Percy Jackson says in one of the clips shown at Lucca, drawing a wild roar from fans assembled at the Teatro Moderno movie theatre.
    — John Bleasdale, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of roar
Verb
  • A little girl pounding her fists and screaming; none of the visitors nor the staff were allowed to hold her to provide comfort.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Rays third baseman Junior Caminero screamed in the dugout after Milwaukee had rallied to tie the game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • Children crowded the play areas, despite the damp, gray weather, shrieking with joy (and in one instance, crying).
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026
  • This power plant is Mercedes-AMG’s new-generation M177 EVO, enhanced and enlivened by a flat-plane crankshaft, a feature normally associated with shrieking supercar engines.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of shriek
Noun
  • Alarmed by the cries, Sita urges Lakshmana to go to Rama’s aid.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • As much an acknowledgment of survival as a rallying cry, the song draws out sadness as well as satisfaction from the audience.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of cry
Noun
  • But the only picture mode that comes close to being that bright also has a notably green bias and ramps up the fan noise to a level that almost anyone will consider intolerable.
    — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Communities are fighting data centers over spiking electric bills, soaring electricity and water demand, noise, land use and taxpayer subsidies.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of noise
Verb
  • Northwestern coach Chris Collins yells to his players during a Big Ten Tournament game March, 12, 2026, at the United Center.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The witness told police that Simpson struck Hampton several times while yelling at her to leave.
    — Briauna Brown, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of yell

Browse Nearby Words

however
howl
howled
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Cite this Entry

“Howl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/howl. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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