SOBS Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

sobs 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sob

as in cries

to shed tears often while making meaningless sounds as a sign of pain or distress the child sobbed when she found the dead frog

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sobs

2 of 2

noun

plural of sob

as in tears

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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 sobs

Verb

The dramatic clip finds Reid and a male love interest performing an armed robbery at a convenience store before enjoying a romance and running from the cops — who ultimately cuff the man in the end, as the Missing star sobs in fear. — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026 Her endless screams and sobs echo back to the agonized wailing of The Mist’s David Drayton, who murdered his child and friends for nothing. — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 Later that day, Jamison sobs in bed while her mom and dad worry about her chances of getting into Stanford if she's reported to the police. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026 Cassie, who doesn’t seem very concerned about Nate, sobs on the floor in disbelief, covered in blood and shocked that someone could disrupt what should be the perfect end to her evening. — Zoe Papelis, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026 The glow of hundreds of candles illuminated somber faces, sobs often cutting through the silence in the crisp spring air. — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026 The recording of the call is harrowing and gut-wrenching as Denise Lee sobs and begs for her life. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026 There are a few inarticulate screams and sobs but no dialogue, no lyrics, no spoken intro, no utterances at all. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026 Or when one of their sons, after rifling through Dad’s joke folder, quietly sobs at what he’s found. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sobs

Verb

In reference to the question that ran on June 30 about the dog that grabs a toy, runs, and then cries, our 6-1/2-year-old goldendoodle does this too.

— Cathy M. Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
In another concert, Mikis Theodorakis comes on stage with his son, and my father cries again.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026

Definition of cries

Noun

The primary players expected to miss the start of preseason camp next week are recovering from ACL tears, not soft-tissue injuries.

— Pete Sampson, New York Times, 31 July 2026
The term was coined in 1981 based on the cases of four elderly women in Wisconsin who, like the man, had severe destruction of their shoulder joints and massive tears to their rotator cuffs.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

Definition of tears

Verb

Swiss skier Melanie Meillard weeps in the arms of her teammate Janine Schmitt after missing a turn on her slalom run Women’s Team Combined Slalom.

— Staff Photographer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Cannon weeps into an expansive white space that only she and Trish inhabit.

— E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025