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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of moan
Ruby Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Despite hearing her moan, Spees called in a level three resistance report but then continued escorting her toward his patrol vehicle.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 18 Dec. 2025
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The austerity gives her plenty of room to writhe, mug, and moan between occasional shots of an inflatable Martian and a tropical-looking Tiffany lamp.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
Two microphones angle towards the duduk to capture resonant moans, creaks, squeaks and honks akin to the bridge’s.
—Ruby Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Despite hearing her moan, Spees called in a level three resistance report but then continued escorting her toward his patrol vehicle.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 18 Dec. 2025
Verb
Fennell begins on a black screen and the sound of creaks and moans.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The austerity gives her plenty of room to writhe, mug, and moan between occasional shots of an inflatable Martian and a tropical-looking Tiffany lamp.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
-
But on a Sunday morning in July 1595, the groan of the heavy wooden door startled him from his gesticulations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Haugh lets out the occasional wince, twitch and groan as Patterson kneads knotted muscles and purges lactic acid build-up so Florida’s leading scorer and ironman can continue to shoulder his heavy workload.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ride the thrill of Hostile Design’s passionate wails and percussion overload when the group headlines eight shows to kick off the new year, making their way across California, Rhode Island, Quebec, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and Illinois with the same energy that once fueled their humble beginnings.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
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Maybe the wails and crushed dreams of American travelers will finally melt their hearts.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Village sounds of chickens and goats were pierced by the distant whine of commercial jets climbing out of Agadir’s international airport.—
Kevin West,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
-
Afterward, a student in the audience complained to his parents that, at the event, the deaths of Palestinian civilians had been characterized as collateral damage—a regrettable but unavoidable consequence of the battle against Hamas.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The driver and passenger in the BMW complained of pain.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Only one of the three bidding distributors will come away with the movie, and the other two must remember that there is no crying in baseball.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
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Randy Walters said his child had been hazed at school over Afroman's posts and came home crying.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Seeing Darlene Mitchell cry was heartbreaking.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2026
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Ave Maria, Florida — One Wednesday this month, loud cries erupted from two teenage girls huddled over a cellphone in the parking lot of a local supermarket.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lack of communication from airlines during disruptions is a major complaint from customers across carriers, and anything companies can do to alleviate that will help with those frustrations.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Sinagra said that Brooksby resigned as a consequence of the complaints, but disagreed with them.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The voice-over exchange on racial identity is played as obvious parody — the satire screaming its head off in case anyone should question the play’s point of view.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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One video shows black smoke streaming out of a building where a wall is painted blue with flowers and the sound of a woman can be heard screaming.—
Marin Scott,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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