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Recent Examples of whinny
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 23 July 2025
Wild ponies, svelte & savage, graze in dune grasses, whinny, yawn.
—J.t. Townley, The New York Review of Books, 6 Mar. 2025
This works, Brian says, and leans back against the wall, the dog panting less, the faint whinny of a horse, an airplane.
—Paul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024
One of the horses fell on its side, its high whinny like a human scream.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2022
Laughter punctuates the exaggerated whinnies, proving that the source is not in fact a horse.
—Kalyn Kahler, SI.com, 11 June 2018
But the methodical, meditative act of grooming a horse — brush, brush, brush — and the smell of hay and the gentle whinnies from the 1,200-pound creature have been therapy for Alger.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 17 May 2018
Animal grunts and growls, horse neighs and whinnies.
—Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Apr. 2018
An astonishing collection of laughs — whinnies, giggles, squeals, snorts, heaves — gradually colors the narrative, until this seemingly harmless man becomes, in effect, not just a witness to savagery, but also an accessory.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2018
Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth is one of the oldest proverbs known to humankind, whinnying back at least 1,500 years.
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2024
That doesn’t include food for the horses, who start whinnying.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024
Kenny was large for his age, with a flat, flabby face and a high, whinnying voice.
—Aryn Kyle, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2024
Some unidentified whinnying joins the cacophony that accompanies gentrification—brash and brazen, with a total disregard for anything other than its own bullish desire.
—Rebecca Haithcoat, GQ, 5 June 2018
The 10-year-old mare bucked, whinnied, and galloped, sensing the pride of victory.
—Mitchell Gladstone, Philly.com, 2 June 2018
The forecast was calling for rain the next day, an element as necessary for all this — the flowering plant life, the whinnying animal life — as is the sun.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2018
Verb
The offseason came and went with little more than a few contract whinnies from Bronco ringleaders.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 23 July 2025
Wild ponies, svelte & savage, graze in dune grasses, whinny, yawn.
—J.t. Townley, The New York Review of Books, 6 Mar. 2025
This works, Brian says, and leans back against the wall, the dog panting less, the faint whinny of a horse, an airplane.
—Paul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024
One of the horses fell on its side, its high whinny like a human scream.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2022
Laughter punctuates the exaggerated whinnies, proving that the source is not in fact a horse.
—Kalyn Kahler, SI.com, 11 June 2018
But the methodical, meditative act of grooming a horse — brush, brush, brush — and the smell of hay and the gentle whinnies from the 1,200-pound creature have been therapy for Alger.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 17 May 2018
Animal grunts and growls, horse neighs and whinnies.
—Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Apr. 2018
An astonishing collection of laughs — whinnies, giggles, squeals, snorts, heaves — gradually colors the narrative, until this seemingly harmless man becomes, in effect, not just a witness to savagery, but also an accessory.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2018
Noun
The downy woodpecker also whinnies like a miniature horse throughout the breeding season.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth is one of the oldest proverbs known to humankind, whinnying back at least 1,500 years.
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2024
That doesn’t include food for the horses, who start whinnying.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024
Kenny was large for his age, with a flat, flabby face and a high, whinnying voice.
—Aryn Kyle, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2024
Some unidentified whinnying joins the cacophony that accompanies gentrification—brash and brazen, with a total disregard for anything other than its own bullish desire.
—Rebecca Haithcoat, GQ, 5 June 2018
The 10-year-old mare bucked, whinnied, and galloped, sensing the pride of victory.
—Mitchell Gladstone, Philly.com, 2 June 2018
The forecast was calling for rain the next day, an element as necessary for all this — the flowering plant life, the whinnying animal life — as is the sun.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whinny
Verb
-
Across from them in their usual stalls stood the eight neighing horses.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2025
-
The band joked about adding a neighing horse to the intro, and Rimes quickly inserted that sound from his plug-in collection.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
30 Jan. 2024
Noun
-
Once upon a time the screech of the dial-up sound signaled our entry into a new realm in the form of the Internet.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
-
People chatter, kids laugh, seagulls screech and birds chirp.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The soldiers muttered encouragement; their horses nickered.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA TODAY,
6 Jan. 2025
-
Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied.—
James Hartley,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Jan. 2024
Noun
-
Instead of chocolate or a throwaway trinket, this calendar delivers 25 days of genuine squeal-worthy surprises.—
Katie Ann Lehman,
StyleCaster,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Korean pop star Cha Eun-woo draws squeals from the crowd of fans gathered out front, while security ushers Lacy through a small throng of civilians on the side of the building, up to where he’s supposed to have his photo taken.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The jarring bleat came across cellphones in Tennessee Monday morning grabbing peoples attention.—
Liz Kellar,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
-
This pageant of puppetry includes a flutter of butterflies, a goat with a plaintive bleat, a menagerie of wild animals and, at one point, a school of glowing fish.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
According to outlets Airlive and Travel and Tour World, crews on board issued an emergency squawk code 7600.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Yet, leading up to the show, the squawks from the models sounded more like practical concerns than diva demands.—
Henry Alford,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
From the roar of the crowd to the quiet focus of a camera shutter, former Philadelphia Eagles HOFer Malcolm Jenkins has gracefully transitioned from NFL star to passionate photographer.—
John Armwood III,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
-
His voice was still raw from calling plays over the roar of Lincoln Financial Field.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Simba, a goldendoodle, and Rafiki, a labradoodle — yelp and bark.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
-
As the spice levels rise, sweat starts to bead, faces flush, and answers descend into incoherent yelps.—
Diana Hubbell,
Popular Science,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whinny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whinny. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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