as in howl
a loud vocal expression of strong emotion
the cat gave a yowl of anger
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
a bitterly cold winter that had people yowling about their heating bills
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 yowl
Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
The guitar riffs recall how Mastodon sounded circa Leviathan, paired with Blythe’s inimitable yowls.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2024
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
The music video for the song weaves together footage from each of the sessions: Slash with his bandmates cutting the song live, Johnson getting into the groove, and Tyler yowling between harp bursts.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for yowl
Noun
As a shape-shifting rock poet — a prophet with a nasal yowl — Dylan and his opaque words were particularly attractive for theorists of the literary, musical and conspiratorial varieties.
—Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
The guitar riffs recall how Mastodon sounded circa Leviathan, paired with Blythe’s inimitable yowls.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2024
Verb
In one number, Swinton, who goes glossy-eyed to show the cracks in her high-fashion veneer, poses in a transparent rain slicker while bleating raw, yowling noises that blend with the despairing strings.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
The music video for the song weaves together footage from each of the sessions: Slash with his bandmates cutting the song live, Johnson getting into the groove, and Tyler yowling between harp bursts.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for yowl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yowl
Verb
-
A number of Tesla shareholders, including some Democrats who oversee the investment of public sector pension fund money in Tesla stock, complained in May to Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm that Musk’s other activities are hurting the company.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
-
Trump has complained about the EU's $231 billion trade surplus in goods, which shows Americans buy more goods from European businesses than the other way around.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
When this resulted in severe shortages of more than 200 medications, including drugs used to treat cancer and deliver emergency care, Congress howled.—
Arthur L. Kellermann,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
Criticisms of budget cuts without budget solutions is simply howling at the moon.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Behind the door, Red groaned, then gave himself a self-motivating shout.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
The shout was instantly memed, parodied by comedians, recreated by fans, echoed by celebrities, and even spoofed by The Minions.—
Nasha Smith,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
Elderly residents rushed to their windows to scream and beg for help as smoke filled the hallways.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
-
Footage from onboard captures passengers, including children, screaming in fear as the cabin shakes and lightning flashes surround them.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
While Bowie envisioned an Earth careening toward apocalypse in a flamboyant, theatrical cry, Drake’s five leaves are quieter, lonelier — more like the end of a season than the end of a world.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
-
Women were about 14 percent more likely to wake up to whisper-level noises, such as a soft baby cry or low-volume alarm—but once sounds reached a more typical volume, men and women responded similarly.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
Through it all, though, Soto didn’t whine or complain or let the pressure of the contract and expectations and big city bring him down along with his batting average.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2025
-
Of course, some will whine that endless war and support for atrocities erode America’s values.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Former player Maria Sharapova’s world-class shrieks were once measured at 101 decibels — roughly the level of a pneumatic drill.—
Brandon Griggs,
CNN Money,
8 July 2025
-
Pretty soon, the whine of the gears, the shriek of the diff, and the sheer cacophony of combustion make conversation all but impossible.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
Now-tired 2010 fads that Lorde pioneered, including bittersweet tropical-pop textures and moaning vocal snippets, are everywhere.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 June 2025
-
After one season, he was forcefully rejected by the community, which moaned to the press (and the local police) that the tranquil pondside inn was becoming a celebrity- and influencer-infested late-night party spot just like his club in the city.—
Brock Colyar,
Curbed,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yowl. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share