as in to cry
to shed tears often while making meaningless sounds as a sign of pain or distress
the child sobbed when she found the dead frog
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in tears
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 sob
Des Moines Register, 2 Mar. 2026
Elena sobbed when her parents told her that the nanny wouldn’t be taking care of her anymore.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Not that Warren’s show is one big sob fest.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sob
Verb
The paramedics arrived on scene, reassuring the huddled, sobbing mess of Mom and us children that all would be okay.
—Des Moines Register, 2 Mar. 2026
Elena sobbed when her parents told her that the nanny wouldn’t be taking care of her anymore.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Noun
Every day, the women and girls around her sob in traumatic memory of what happened to them.
—Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Not that Warren’s show is one big sob fest.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sob
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sob
Verb
-
Someone was squealing and crying at the same time, as if caught in a trap.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
-
And then the entire crew would start to cry.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There were tears and hugs outside the Maxwell family home in Westbury after the identification was made.—
Mark Prussin,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
My mother’s tears were never about the loss of true love.—
Han Ong,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Palestinians are so often left to weep alone, yet former President Robinson has never been silent.—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
For Palestinians are so often left to weep alone.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The reveal in the final minutes of just how the posters have been torn down is groan-inducingly cutesy.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Exasperated groans followed from three of the four stands, and that pattern continued as Brighton players kept misplacing passes when forcing themselves into quick decisions.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sob. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
