1
as in tears
a crying out in grief
a prolonged wail arose from every corner of the city as the victims of the earthquake were unearthed from the rubble
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in groans
a long low sound indicating pain or grief
rescuers heard a faint wail coming from the pile of rubble, a sure sign that one of the victims was still alive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whines
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
a transit fare increase that is sure to bring wails from the straphangers
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1
as in complains
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the state's residents are always wailing about their high taxes
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2
3
as in moans
to utter a moan
the patient lay in her bed, occasionally softly wailing in pain
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wails
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
An ambulance siren wails past, coming up from the river.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Two sets of arms wrapped around me, more of his friends, holding me until my wails subsided.
—Kimberly Bridson, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2025
The leitmotif of unanswered doorbells, unacknowledged wails, and unsoothed whimpers punctuates the passivity of Epure’s surreal world.
—Olivia Bennett, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
Her wails make Davina recall her own confinement, where she was treated similarly awfully and responded by cursing the women in the room.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
An ambulance siren wails past, coming up from the river.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Two sets of arms wrapped around me, more of his friends, holding me until my wails subsided.
—Kimberly Bridson, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2025
The leitmotif of unanswered doorbells, unacknowledged wails, and unsoothed whimpers punctuates the passivity of Epure’s surreal world.
—Olivia Bennett, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
As Electridad wails for justice, her brother Orestes spends his time in exile with Nino (Luis Medina), a move made by his late father in probable anticipation of his demise.
—Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wails
Noun
-
For their part, Benjamin’s children aren’t moved to tears in the wake of his death either.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
-
That’s when the tears really came.—
Brad Schmitt,
Nashville Tennessean,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Even his mistake for Damsgaard’s opener brought more of a stunned silence than exasperated groans or impulsive anger from the locals.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
-
The cheers that accompanied the sixth-inning rally quickly turned to groans in the top of the seventh when struggling Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech walked Jung Hoo-Lee and Bailey to open the inning before striking out Drew Gilbert.—
Mike Digiovanna,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The President reportedly watches hours of cable news every day, and frequently complains about coverage in real time.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
-
There has been a consistent pattern with Florida football where a group of Gators fans complains about the current head coach, sportswriters mock them for having unrealistic expectations, and then those fans turn out to be totally correct.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The ugly episode drew howls from those lawmakers in both parties who are calling to tone down the hostilities and focus on legislating, not seeking attention on social media.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The screams, the reason everyone assembles, when the screams come, after a few collective inhales and exhales and a moment to gather one’s thoughts, the screams come like long guttural howls.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Since Kimmel’s remark, the backlash has shifted from conservative furor to cries of capitulation, coming from Capitol Hill Democrats, to former President Barack Obama, to former Disney CEO Michael Eisner.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Most of these are held in a tent, from which loud, ecstatic moans can be heard for seemingly miles around.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
One of our complaints about the original Max was the inability to save settings as presets.—
Craig Wilson,
PC Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
-
The president linked his broader complaints about the United Nations to the building's renovation.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Violet Florence Floral Throw Pillow A few extra throw pillows are a must during the fall season—and nothing screams autumn like botanical accents.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Focusing solely on the weak link generated screams that delighted the whole pack of friends and family.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wails. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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