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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Recent Examples of howling
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
But most ominous of all, at least for me, are the howling winds.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 9 July 2024
Sender shifts between stories of love — between lovers, friends, family, ghosts — and the great looming shadow of the Holocaust, making a deep and howling portrait of longing and loneliness.
—Nina McLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Mar. 2023
Andy McCullough, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The poll comes as the ballot measure proposal, which is being pushed by the health care worker labor union SEIU-UHW, draws howling fury from some vocal billionaires who have threatened to leave the state and, in some cases, taken steps toward divesting from California.
—Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Whitman’s howling yodel and clean-cut persona were a far cry from the sound Presley had been rehearsing.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Eventually, several officers move in on the man, and the video shows the dog down, then jumping to its feet while howling.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
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
One plausible explanation for the origin of the name is that wolves were more likely to be heard howling during mid-winter, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
January's full moon is commonly referred to as the Wolf Moon, because wolves are more likely to be heard howling during this time of year.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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
But most ominous of all, at least for me, are the howling winds.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 9 July 2024
Sender shifts between stories of love — between lovers, friends, family, ghosts — and the great looming shadow of the Holocaust, making a deep and howling portrait of longing and loneliness.
—Nina McLaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Mar. 2023
Verb
The onslaught of bad news elicited howling in Canada, groans in Atlanta and frenetic Googling to determine just what, exactly, is the hamate bone.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
The poll comes as the ballot measure proposal, which is being pushed by the health care worker labor union SEIU-UHW, draws howling fury from some vocal billionaires who have threatened to leave the state and, in some cases, taken steps toward divesting from California.
—Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Whitman’s howling yodel and clean-cut persona were a far cry from the sound Presley had been rehearsing.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Eventually, several officers move in on the man, and the video shows the dog down, then jumping to its feet while howling.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
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
One plausible explanation for the origin of the name is that wolves were more likely to be heard howling during mid-winter, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
January's full moon is commonly referred to as the Wolf Moon, because wolves are more likely to be heard howling during this time of year.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 2 Jan. 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
-
Over the past few years, LaBeouf has managed to keep his screaming to a minimal and (mostly) onscreen habit.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Running, screaming, and after sliding on my knees.—
Patrick Snell,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The shrieking young women are hilarious, as are their hairdos.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
-
This seems to me as offensive to rationality as a saint shrieking into the air.—
Christian Wiman,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Nor were the four years the FBI operated under Biden the best years of the agency’s life, as the FBI was used to go after political conservatives, conservative groups, as a well as vocal protesters at school committee meetings questioning COVID regulations.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Conservative critics have become increasingly vocal against the fields in recent years, but ethnic and gender studies are not new fields.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That distinct lack of urgency from Washington stands in stark contrast to the anxiety in Moscow, where there has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth over the arms reduction issue.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
-
In the early twentieth century, on the Andaman Islands, social anthropologists observed ritualistic greetings that involved wailing and weeping.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Cheers alum regaled how his mom showed up on set of Indecent Proposal squealing like a 16-year old in her fandom of Redford, who warmly received her.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Jan. 2026
-
One moment that had fans squealing online was Williams’ interview with Gayle King, which included playing table hockey and a cheeky comment.—
Carolyn Burt,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bowling at run-hungry batters on largely unforgiving pitches in vast, cacophonous stadiums with huge outfields in front of a partisan and at times baying crowd — plenty of English bowlers have found bowling in Australia akin to a Sisyphean task.—
James Wallace,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Howling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/howling. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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