sound 1 of 5

verb (1)

Definition of soundnext
1
as in to echo
to continue or be repeated in a series of reflected sound waves the stranded hiker's cries for help sounded throughout the canyon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to seem
to give the impression of being the idea at least sounds plausible

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to voice
to make known (as an idea, emotion, or opinion) a person who certainly isn't shy about sounding her opinions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to announce
to make known openly or publicly the grand opening of the region's newest and largest mall has been loudly sounded for months

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sound

2 of 5

verb (2)

1
as in to scale
to measure the depth of (as a body of water) typically with a weighted line the pilot sounded the river to make sure we weren't in any danger of running aground

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to plunge
to cast oneself head first into deep water a whale suddenly surfaced and then, just as suddenly, sounded

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sound

3 of 5

noun (1)

ˈsau̇nd How to pronounce sound (audio)
as in hearing
range of hearing wandered off, out of her parents' sight and sound

Synonyms & Similar Words

sound

4 of 5

noun (2)

as in strait
a narrow body of water between two land masses Long Island Sound is between Connecticut and Long Island, New York

Synonyms & Similar Words

sound

5 of 5

adjective

1
as in logical
according to the rules of logic sound reasoning alone should tell you that the result is invalid

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in healthy
enjoying health and vigor the horse is getting along in years, but still perfectly sound

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sturdy
marked by the ability to withstand stress without structural damage or distortion the shed looks flimsy, but it's actually surprisingly sound

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sound different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of sound are cogent, convincing, telling, and valid. While all these words mean "having such force as to compel serious attention and usually acceptance," sound implies a basis of flawless reasoning or of solid grounds.

a sound proposal for reviving the economy

When might cogent be a better fit than sound?

While in some cases nearly identical to sound, cogent may stress either weight of sound argument and evidence or lucidity of presentation.

the prosecutor's cogent summation won over the jury

When is convincing a more appropriate choice than sound?

The meanings of convincing and sound largely overlap; however, convincing suggests a power to overcome doubt, opposition, or reluctance to accept.

a convincing argument for welfare reform

When could telling be used to replace sound?

While the synonyms telling and sound are close in meaning, telling stresses an immediate and crucial effect striking at the heart of a matter.

a telling example of bureaucratic waste

When can valid be used instead of sound?

In some situations, the words valid and sound are roughly equivalent. However, valid implies being supported by objective truth or generally accepted authority.

a valid reason for being absent
a valid marriage

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 sound
Verb
Scary allegations are not the whole story If voters listened to Trump’s speech without the benefits of fact-checkers or even Google, things sound really, really scary. — Philip Elliott, Time, 17 July 2026 Ren also served as cinematographer, with editing by Shi, original music by Luna Pan, and sound post-production by Music and Effects. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 July 2026
Noun
That never crossed my mind before, but now in 2026, our reggaeton, our essence and our sound has become important in Mexico and even more so on a Latino level. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 Many people’s recollections of the 2010 World Cup will be the official anthem Waka Waka, the incessant sound of the vuvuzela, and of Paul the Octopus correctly predicting match outcomes. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Adjective
Changing the La Verne Noyes endowments’ mission is legally impossible since it can still be carried out – there are still plenty of students qualifying for them – and the endowments are financially sound. — Thomas Adam, The Conversation, 16 July 2026 Officials closed off a stretch of Markham that evening in order to determine whether the bridge was still structurally sound. — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sound
  1. echo
  2. seem
  3. voice
  4. announce
  5. scale
  6. plunge
  7. hearing
  8. strait
Verb
  • Easterseals Southern California Chief Advancement Officer Nancy Weintraub echoed that sentiment, pointing to the cultural momentum building around the relaunch.
    — Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • Another subcontractor involved in the project echoed Sciame’s assessment, telling Curbed that most large-scale construction projects involve a rush toward completion.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of echo
Verb
  • Some celebrity wines seem more focused on lining investors’ pockets than impressing palates.
    — Emily Saladino, Washington Post, 17 July 2026
  • There are historical examples of teams that seemed dead in the water only to catch fire and make the playoffs.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
Definition of seem
Verb
  • Auliʻi Cravalho, the original voice of Moana and an executive producer for the live-action adaptation, voiced the character in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi for Moana 2.
    — Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • It was rejected, an outcome rendered moot when Norway failed to qualify, but delegates passed a separate motion requiring the federation’s president to voice their collective criticism at the next FIFA Congress in Qatar.
    — Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026
Definition of voice
Verb
  • The final plan, announced Thursday, includes early voting sites at Cabarrus Arena & Events Center, Afton Ridge Library, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s Kannapolis campus, and Cabarrus County EMS Headquarters.
    — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
  • As of Friday evening, FIFA has not announced any closing news conference where media will be afforded opportunities to ask Infantino questions.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of announce
Verb
  • The data center business alone has scaled something like 13 times since fiscal year 2023, when total company revenue was just $27 billion!
    — Todd Gordon, CNBC, 22 July 2026
  • In the clip, George takes part in a number of hobbies, including cricket, scaling rocks, and hanging out with one of the family dogs.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 22 July 2026
Definition of scale
Verb
  • Atlantia was the controlling shareholder in motorway operator Autostrade per l’Italia at the time of the disaster which killed 43 ​people when their vehicles plunged from the flyover.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • The satellites would only survive about 20 minutes before ultimately plunging to their fiery doom reentering Earth’s atmosphere.
    — Lee Billings & Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 July 2026
Definition of plunge
Noun
  • Anderson’s neighbors, Matt and Laurel Nelson, needed to meet that threshold to move the case to a formal hearing on their complaint against the county manager.
    — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
  • Adult-use marijuana is still Schedule I, but the Drug Enforcement Administration just concluded hearings about its potential rescheduling and a decision is expected soon.
    — Will Yakowicz, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of hearing
Noun
  • That amounts to roughly a quarter of what flowed through the strait before the war.
    — Arpita Dasika, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • The strait is a choke point for commercial ship traffic, as well as oil exports from Saudi Arabia.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 21 July 2026
Definition of strait

Phrases Containing sound

Browse Nearby Words

soul-searchings
sound
sound bite
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Sound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sound. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sound

Nglish: Translation of sound for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of maverick

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All