1
as in yelling
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2
as in crying
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in screaming
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in shrieking
to cry out loudly and emotionally
the boy howled in pain when his baby sister bit him
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of howling
Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
In the elk- and deer-rich areas of northern Yellowstone National Park, ravens are often among the first scavengers to arrive on the scene, swooping down to feast on scraps left behind by the howling canines.
—Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2026
The City of Aurora, Illinois, is touting a howling success.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
With relentless howling wind making up much of the soundtrack, The Turin Horse was a chilling, enigmatic stunner that played like a metaphor for the apocalypse.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2026
After the rain stopped, there was a strange howling sound from the wind that was loud, constant, and all night long.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Aaron Chown—Press Association via AP Images People remove a new artwork by Banksy, depicting a howling wolf painted on a satellite dish that was placed on a shop roof in Peckham, south London.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Get ready for a wild ride in Kansas City as a weather system will send temperatures plummeting and usher in howling winds, rain and maybe some light snow on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 19 Mar. 2025
Burning telephone poles blocked lanes and black soot swept across the pavement, blown by the howling winds.
—Sean Greene, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
There’s no better time to swap scary stories than when the wind is howling and candles are flickering.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026
What could be a better way to blow off some grief than turning up the amps and howling out more Kimbrough deep cuts?
—Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 7 May 2026
By the fourth quarter, this game was over, leaving it to Kennard to send the crowd howling into the night by supplying three fourth-quarter treys on three attempts and making a Game 1 MVP out of Rob Pelinka.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
Elsewhere, Paula Rego’s two self portraits from 2017 show the artist howling through expressive pastel strokes.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
When the evening kill was made, usually around 10 or 11 o’clock, howling would start again.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
McCartney did not go off-mic to show off to this crowd, but his ability to sing material that calls for a fair amount of howling remains a more than impressive enough stunt, at 83.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
That way, their songs can be carried farther to potential mates, without the noisy interruption of a howling wind.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Either that, or the Daily Mail editors had a howling good time with publication dates.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
In the elk- and deer-rich areas of northern Yellowstone National Park, ravens are often among the first scavengers to arrive on the scene, swooping down to feast on scraps left behind by the howling canines.
—Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2026
The City of Aurora, Illinois, is touting a howling success.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
With relentless howling wind making up much of the soundtrack, The Turin Horse was a chilling, enigmatic stunner that played like a metaphor for the apocalypse.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2026
After the rain stopped, there was a strange howling sound from the wind that was loud, constant, and all night long.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Aaron Chown—Press Association via AP Images People remove a new artwork by Banksy, depicting a howling wolf painted on a satellite dish that was placed on a shop roof in Peckham, south London.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Get ready for a wild ride in Kansas City as a weather system will send temperatures plummeting and usher in howling winds, rain and maybe some light snow on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 19 Mar. 2025
Burning telephone poles blocked lanes and black soot swept across the pavement, blown by the howling winds.
—Sean Greene, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
In the ongoing fight for women’s equal rights, Pawol had proved a female baseball umpire can be second-guessed, proved wrong and humiliated by technology and mocked by howling fans on social media just like a man can.
—Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
There’s no better time to swap scary stories than when the wind is howling and candles are flickering.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026
What could be a better way to blow off some grief than turning up the amps and howling out more Kimbrough deep cuts?
—Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 7 May 2026
By the fourth quarter, this game was over, leaving it to Kennard to send the crowd howling into the night by supplying three fourth-quarter treys on three attempts and making a Game 1 MVP out of Rob Pelinka.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
Elsewhere, Paula Rego’s two self portraits from 2017 show the artist howling through expressive pastel strokes.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
When the evening kill was made, usually around 10 or 11 o’clock, howling would start again.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
McCartney did not go off-mic to show off to this crowd, but his ability to sing material that calls for a fair amount of howling remains a more than impressive enough stunt, at 83.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
That way, their songs can be carried farther to potential mates, without the noisy interruption of a howling wind.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for howling
Adjective
-
Think Pictionary, but with way more yelling and questionable drawings.—
Francesca Krempa,
StyleCaster,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
But his crying scene in Ford v Ferrari is one for the ages.—
Michael Granberry,
Dallas News,
17 Jan. 2020
Verb
-
And watching the videos of the people jumping out of their chairs, screaming, cheering was so cool.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
2 June 2026
-
An exasperated Tomás enters the thicket himself to retrieve, among other items, Liam’s boot, and doesn’t emerge until the next day—not screaming, but fundamentally changed.—
Nora Biette-Timmons,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Lyra spent hours running and spinning through the surf, shrieking with joy when the waves caught her.—
Brianna Randall,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
But in the early days of the Maniacs, everyone swears that Merchant was a shrieking dervish during shows, exorcising her teenage demons on the stage of every bar in the Rust Belt.—
Dan Kois,
Pitchfork,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
This is an album in which harsh, scraping sounds make sweet vocal melodies sound even sweeter, where that kindness of spirit may flicker but never quite fades away.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
1 June 2026
-
Behind the scenes, Ariana used Wicked to improve herself as a performer overall, taking on extensive vocal training for the role with those skills evident in her work post-Glinda.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The final syllables accelerate into a blur, whereupon a ritual of wailing erupts.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
After Thursday’s storms sent tornado sirens wailing across the metro, forecasters expect a quiet Friday before a potentially more dangerous round of severe weather Sunday into Monday.—
Ian Cummings,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There were no odd noises or squealing bearings to indicate the fan was having trouble.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
-
The first twenty minutes involve longtime Holzinger mentor-cum–ensemble member Renée Copraij spanking the gleefully squealing Annina Machaz.—
Caroline Lillian Schopp,
Artforum,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
But the median voter isn’t exactly baying for moderation and compromise.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
And the loss seemed to unleash some hidden resentments, some wolves that had been biding their time deep in the woods but were now baying at the door.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Howling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/howling. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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