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
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 room responded with playful groans.—
Haley Kluge,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
-
More than one person fell victim to wayward gourds that careened down Midland Road to the cheers and groans of an eager audience.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
With the band mostly back together, the Minnesota Wild made the goal horn wail enough for their seventh straight win on Saturday.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
20 Dec. 2025
-
The ear-splitting wails came from a little girl trying to get the star’s attention.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
These are no longer the days of whine and turned-up noses.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
30 Nov. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
In recent years, staff have complained of poor working conditions brought on by overcrowding, despite director Laurence des Cars’s 2023 move to cap attendance at 30,000 visitors daily, accompanied by a ticket price increase.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Later that day, the parents of other dancers and talent-show participants complained that my afro had covered up their kids on-screen.—
Questlove,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The artwork depicted a crying boy, emotional over a lack of social media attention.—
Gabriele Regalbuto,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Her dad, Mark, 54, commented with praying, broken heart and crying emojis.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Property Insurance If property taxes are the House GOP’s flagship affordability issue, property insurance has become the Democrats’ rallying cry.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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Demonstrations have included cries in support of the shah, something that could bring a death sentence in the past but now underlines the anger fueling the protests that began over Iran’s ailing economy.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Until Verizon amends its complaint and the judge rules on the emergency request, there is no court directive preventing the association from moving forward with the rooftop work that Verizon says would interrupt wireless service in the area.—
David Hudnall,
Kansas City Star,
6 Jan. 2026
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Beyond the service commitments, the complaint accuses HMM of conditioning access to space on the payment of peak season surcharges (PSS) and other extra-contractual fees—despite contract language that expressly barred such add-ons unless mutually agreed.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Hearing the Creature screaming his name, Victor turns back.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Jan. 2026
-
For all the talk about home-field advantage and the Bears needing their fans to scream 20 percent louder and be 30 percent drunker than usual, past precedent shows that won’t matter much.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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