SOUNDS Synonyms: 156 Similar and Opposite Words

sounds 1 of 4

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of sound

as in echoes

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

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in seems

to give the impression of being the idea at least sounds plausible

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as in voices

to make known (as an idea, emotion, or opinion) a person who certainly isn't shy about sounding her opinions

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in announces

to make known openly or publicly the grand opening of the region's newest and largest mall has been loudly sounded for months

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sounds

2 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of sound

as in plumbs

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

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as in plunges

to cast oneself head first into deep water a whale suddenly surfaced and then, just as suddenly, sounded

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

surfaces

sounds

3 of 4

noun (1)

plural of sound

as in hearings

range of hearing wandered off, out of her parents' sight and sound

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sounds

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural of sound

as in channels

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

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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 sounds

Verb

If this neck cream sounds too good to be true, shoppers have no shortage of amazing feedback. — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 3 July 2026 There are easier ways to do things these days; computers and plug-ins could capture these sounds much quicker. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026 Completing their sentences with what sounds plausible is not preservation. — Masha Pearl, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026 None of that sounds dramatic, but those details become important when a vehicle may eventually shuttle lots of people a day. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 In that vacuum, an always-available chatbot that sounds calm, attentive, and nonjudgmental can feel less like a novelty than a lifeline. — Ryan McBain, STAT, 2 July 2026 Video footage of the dogs at Dingo Doggies Campus shows the pups walking on treadmills, training in the gym and relaxing on beds while booms and fireworks sounds can be heard in the background. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a wearable audio system that converts nearby robot movements into dynamic warning sounds. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026 Prove Your Claims With Evidence In a market flooded with AI capabilities, claims are cheap, and every launch sounds the same. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Noun

As the sounds of fighting increased nearby, Al-Zaharnah decided to leave with his wife and youngest son. — Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026 Today, a journey through American history, with the sounds of music. — Rund Abdelfatah, NPR, 7 July 2026 As a further precaution, consider adding background noise, like the TV or a white noise machine, to help muffle the sounds. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 3 July 2026 The funk and rock sounds fight against ever-encroaching mud and hiss; pretty melodies are offset by punishing bass or rendered disorienting by creative panning in the mix. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026 Every once in a while a crow calls, but there’s not much structure to it, with the sounds listlessly bouncing off the walls imposed by the five-minute runtimes instead of cohering into a rhythm. — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026 Acoem also says its technology detects specific sounds, not conversations. — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026 From the sounds of it, Jarvaise wasn’t too concerned with the trappings of fame, much less fortune, and was instead passionately dedicated to his art practice and teaching in and around Los Angeles. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 8 July 2026 The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people — including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sounds

Verb

And, as the country and its people begin to piece together the full toll of the destruction amid the rubble, the notion of playing baseball seems absurd in the wake of such tragedy.

— Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
But Rhaenyra seems happy enough handing out bread and basking in the smallfolk’s love.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of seems

Verb

For those determined to wrap an actual object, gifting experts say the trick is to avoid anything that merely announces its own price tag.

— Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
Continue reading … RADICAL — DeSantis announces plans to use new state law to target dozens of alleged terrorist groups.

— , FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of announces

Verb

Ophelia’s Got Talent plumbs the depths of the nineteenth-century cult of Ophelia, epitomized in John Everett Millais’s famous painting of her watery death.

— Caroline Lillian Schopp, Artforum, 13 May 2026
As Latifi plumbs the industry, what stands out is just how manufactured this content is, and how often the children are being manipulated to perform.

— Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 13 May 2026

Definition of plumbs

Verb

Dexter grapples with killing her, but Rudy eventually can’t handle Dexter’s hesitance and takes the knife into his own hands—and nearly plunges it into Debra’s chest before Dexter stops him.

— EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
In six parts, The American Revolution, directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, plunges us into the momentous war that led to the nation’s founding.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 June 2026

Definition of plunges

Noun

The committee held 56 hearings from 2013 through 2021, or an average of seven per year.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
In bail review hearings over the past year, Parisi has asked the court to set bail and allow her client to be released while the criminal case proceeds.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of hearings

Noun

Something had to be done — and spinning off the cable channels into a new company called Versant wouldn’t cut it.

— Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Spanish language speakers can access matches with Spanish commentary on Telemundo or Universo, NBC’s Spanish-language cable channels.

— Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of channels

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sounds. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of sounds

verb (1)

verb (2)

noun (1)

noun (2)

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