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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of moan
Tom Duszynski, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Once again inducing moans of agony from Oceanside to Baja when the game mattered most, Padres hitters came up short Thursday.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Oct. 2025
Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 13 Dec. 2025
One of the decorations—an animatronic ghost—begins to shake and moan and light up, its sensor triggered by the approaching animal.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
Imagine a city street at dusk, silent save for the rising sound of a collective guttural moan.
—Tom Duszynski, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Once again inducing moans of agony from Oceanside to Baja when the game mattered most, Padres hitters came up short Thursday.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
While lying on the pavement, he could be heard moaning as an officer shouted at him not to move.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 13 Dec. 2025
One of the decorations—an animatronic ghost—begins to shake and moan and light up, its sensor triggered by the approaching animal.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
-
The speech was met by deafening cheers, and a tiny smattering of groans from people on the other side of the political spectrum.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Those decisions were largely met with groans from fans.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
At times, the noise of grinding gears can obscure the soprano whoops and wails of the preschoolers.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Telecasters and hollow-body guitars wail cover songs on Beale Street.—
Joe Sills,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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No suspicious whine in the air, no burning of pungent oils to put off biters.—
Antonia Quirke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
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These are no longer the days of whine and turned-up noses.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
30 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Later, the state spent $6 million to seal the brick building, after state workers complained of respiratory ailments and asthma.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
11 Jan. 2026
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Although older drivers are certainly more sensitive to nocturnal blasts of light, drivers in their 20s and 30s also complained about the overall brightness of some vehicles.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In a now-viral video shared to the mom of two's TikTok, Sara's daughter Evie, 4, could be seen sitting on the stairs of their house and crying.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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No more crying tots – or well-meaning helper elves – tugging on their long white beards and hemlines.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Flag waving, immigration restriction, and culture-war rallying cries can shore up the MAGA-tech coalition, but more will be needed to achieve lasting success.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
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BenQ has heard the anguished cries of movie enthusiasts who don't have the luxury of large rooms for a home cinema setup.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Cumming said the city's information technology department also abruptly cut off part of her office administrator's access, including the ability to see who else in city government may be looking at whistleblower complaints and documents related to ethics investigations.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Schlegel is expected to be charged via federal criminal complaint with assault on a federal officer, alien smuggling and felon in possession of a firearm in connection with Tuesday's shooting, Janke said.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bill Belichick’s resume screams one-way ticket to Canton, Ohio, but when he wasn’t voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, many were left flabbergasted on Tuesday night.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Under the watchful eye of sheriffs deputies who threatened to ticket anyone caught standing in the road, along with a small number of National Guard members, the protesters took turns screaming swears and warming up in nearby parked cars.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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