sounding 1 of 3

Definition of soundingnext

sounding

2 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of sound
1
as in echoing
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4

sounding

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of sound
1
as in plumbing
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 plunging
to cast oneself head first into deep water a whale suddenly surfaced and then, just as suddenly, sounded

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 sounding
Noun
This apparent recloning limit could put a dent in a number of sci-fi sounding but already burgeoning ambitions. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026 An external sounding board can be an invaluable source of support for leaders who want to talk freely and openly about their challenges with someone who has an objective perspective. — Sally Percy, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
In other words, an older-sounding voice might flag general physical decline, not just dementia risk specifically. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 1 Oct. 2026 That can explain why as of this month, the stock market is soaring but the bond market is sounding the alarm. — Personal Finance, TheWeek, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sounding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sounding
Noun
  • In my first draft, the story was told mostly from the point of view of his father, Chee Meng, with segues into minor characters including Chee Meng’s fisherman friends and Shawn’s mother.
    — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Commanders selected Kaliakmanis out of Rutgers in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL draft.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Priced at $1,450, the pumps add an almost weightless quality to the outfit, with their barely-there construction echoing the transparency of the ribbon skirt.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There is no noise of a breaking string echoing in the distance — the stage direction that pushed Chekhov’s final dramatic landscape toward Beckettian absurdism before Beckett was born.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Revelations about similar incidents of seeming collective action by groups of agents have appeared every week since.
    — Michael Morris, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The wait for season three will almost certainly be a bit shorter, with a return next fall seeming very plausible given the second season had an eight-month turnaround after filming wrapped.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Looking forward, Ruess says that he is moved by other artists speaking out against the war in Gaza and credits Macklemore, who was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour after voicing his support of Palestinians onstage.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
  • On the same day, OpenAI released its own report about the cyberattack, voicing concern about the implications of its findings.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Kennedy Center is already running late, compared to past years, in announcing the honorees.
    — Paul Grein, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026
  • This week, City Hall and the DCLA are announcing an increase in funding for direct-support grants to artists, administered by each borough’s local arts council.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • There is no reading of the statute under which enforcing the Building Code includes plumbing a restaurant’s kitchen.
    — Fabiola Stuyvesant, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Capital Engineering, a mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering firm the district has worked with in the past, has been tapped to help assess the district’s losses and develop a plan for remedying the issue.
    — Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Pilots have compared landing on the short runway, with either side plunging straight down off the side of a vertical cliff, to landing on an aircraft carrier.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • And this week, our story about the dwindling water levels in Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir, shows breathtaking expanses of dry canyon plunging to a shrinking, narrow ribbon of teal green.
    — Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The more exaggerated interpretations, with oversized collars that swallow the chin or heavy embellishment, are the ones most at risk of looking dated once the search curve bends.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Far from throwing money away, renting is looking better by the day.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sounding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sounding. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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