neigh 1 of 2

as in to whinny
to make the cry typical of a horse the horses neighed when the rider came into the barn

Synonyms & Similar Words

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neigh

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of neigh
Noun
Across from them in their usual stalls stood the eight neighing horses. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025 The band joked about adding a neighing horse to the intro, and Rimes quickly inserted that sound from his plug-in collection. Tom Roland, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2024 Laughing, always laughing—at the dickey birds hopping in the tree branches, at the urchin who was burned to a crisp by an angry mob, at the slandering neighbor woman who got turned into a neighing donkey. Okwiri Oduor, Harper's Magazine, 15 June 2022 No such juvenilia intrudes upon the rather more adult-ish proceedings of the new film The Wanting Mare, in which horses neigh and stamp at the margins of a bleak, majestic world. Jason Kehe, Wired, 12 Feb. 2021 Horse trailers lined up in rows in Island Grove Regional Park, their passengers neighing indiscriminately. John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 28 July 2019 Goats and sheep staying in the barn bleated, and horses neighed as the crowd of people grew. David Anderson, baltimoresun.com, 23 July 2019 There in the the headquarters of Togo’s secret police — the notorious Research and Intelligence Service — the captives were beaten, waterboarded and forced to kneel and neigh like horses. Siobhan O'Grady, latimes.com, 4 June 2018 Across the barn, another horse was getting new shoes and neighed. Jason Nark, Philly.com, 23 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neigh
Verb
  • The downy woodpecker also whinnies like a miniature horse throughout the breeding season.
    Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
  • Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth is one of the oldest proverbs known to humankind, whinnying back at least 1,500 years.
    Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2024
Noun
  • How moo moo came to be be The Facebook group and the resulting moo moo movement began with a conversation between Huckins and a friend, according to both women.
    Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The soldiers muttered encouragement; their horses nickered.
    Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied.
    James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2024
Noun
  • Nestor Lorenzo’s team lost form and went six games without a victory, but James' goal brought a roar and relief to the entire country.
    Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The dull roar from the construction site cuts out.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Aaron Spencer was jolted awake by the frantic barks of his daughter’s chihuahua.
    Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Just be sure to keep mulch lines a few inches away from tree trunks, as mulch placed directly against a tree’s bark increases the risk of pest and rot issues.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Once upon a time the screech of the dial-up sound signaled our entry into a new realm in the form of the Internet.
    Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
  • People chatter, kids laugh, seagulls screech and birds chirp.
    Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Korean pop star Cha Eun-woo draws squeals from the crowd of fans gathered out front, while security ushers Lacy through a small throng of civilians on the side of the building, up to where he’s supposed to have his photo taken.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2025
  • After the initial squeals and giggles, Taylor Swift fans immediately got to work, combing all seven photos of Swift for outfit details and clues about their relationship status.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • For a while, the only sound in the room was the squeak of a marker on a whiteboard, as Imamura wrote out several potential plot points.
    Matt Alt, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
  • One of my only criticisms is how the interior is screwed together: more than a few squeaks and rattles came to light over choppy tarmac and mid-corner bumps and undulations.
    Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Neigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neigh. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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