1
as in groan
a long low sound indicating pain or grief
she uttered an agonized moan and clutched her stomach
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2
as in wail
a crying out in grief
moans arose from the crowd as the funeral procession for the well-loved senator made its way down the street
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3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
the crowd responded with a moan when it was announced that the rest of the show would be cancelled due to the weather
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1
as in to groan
to utter a moan
he moaned and cried for days after his dog, his only companion, died
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2
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
their son moaned whenever anyone asked him to do some work
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of moan
Scott Craven, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2025
The smart zombies make the most upsetting noises, sounding like human moans.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Ellis could be heard moaning and could be seen lying on the ground.
—Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
Out comes another moan, this one closer to a laugh as Brandon’s face flashes a smile.
—Scott Craven, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2025
The smart zombies make the most upsetting noises, sounding like human moans.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Verb
Julia says, dropping to all fours and moaning amid a pile of straw on the floor.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Ellis could be heard moaning and could be seen lying on the ground.
—Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
-
The beauty of rock ‘n’ roll is repetition, the beauty of repetition and the groan and the groove and the communication of the words.—
Gary Graff,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Mbeumo misplaces a pass as United attack and his family groan before dissecting the move.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
So, on the night after the murder, the town’s streets were filled with anguished cries from the Inuit—wails of loss and pain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The electric version starts the same, but that plaintive wail sounds more like a call to mischief.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Deciphering the vocalizations involves both sound and context, as a dog’s bark or whine may be tied to its situation, Zhu said.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Boston Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The unfiltered electric soundtrack of the Evija goes from a piercing whine to an ear-splitting shriek.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In that appearance, Thilly moonwalked across the floor and performed a backspin before using his allotted five minutes to complain about rising taxes, according to CBS News New York.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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Another woman, 59, complained of back pain, per the outlets.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Many of us thought that the image of crying, blood-spattered 6 and 7 year olds, marching-in-train across a school parking lot would finally convince America’s gun owners to concede to meaningful gun reform.—
K. Ward Cummings,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
-
While there may be no crying in baseball, there certainly is crying in hockey.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And so [the book is] a rallying cry.—
Khushbu Shah,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Oct. 2025
-
So, on the night after the murder, the town’s streets were filled with anguished cries from the Inuit—wails of loss and pain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In searching homes on Friday, FBI agents found multiple AR-15-style rifles, shotguns, handguns and tactical vets, as well as more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition compatible with the AR-15-style rifles, the complaint said.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
3 Nov. 2025
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That’s not disclosed in the complaint, and the suit doesn’t currently include any exhibits or additional documents backing up the allegations.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In the end, McGovern included clips from early morning airport chaos, rain on the Hawaiian beaches, the aftermath of a bloody lip and plenty of screaming and crying.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Momentum indicators aren't screaming buy at current levels.—
Jay Woods,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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