howled; howling; howls

intransitive verb

1
: to emit a loud sustained doleful sound characteristic of members of the dog family
2
: to cry out loudly and without restraint under strong impulse (such as pain, grief, or amusement)
3
: to go on a spree or rampage

transitive verb

1
: to utter with unrestrained outcry
2
: to drown out or cause to fail by adverse outcry
used especially with down
howl noun

Examples of howl in a Sentence

The dogs were howling at the moon. several coyotes began howling close by as the sun went down
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Criticisms of budget cuts without budget solutions is simply howling at the moon. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 2025 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 In this case, rather than leave the dog behind to howl in protest, @ernonpan simply carries her around—handbag and all. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025 Now, the stadium filled with noise as her fans howled at the night sky, utterly united by her music. Olivia Petty, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for howl

Word History

Etymology

Middle English houlen; akin to Middle High German hiulen to howl

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of howl was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Howl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/howl. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

howl

verb
1
: to make a long loud mournful sound like that of a dog
2
: to cry out loudly (as with pain, grief, or amusement)
howled in protest
howling with laughter
3
: to drown out or cause to fail by an outcry
howled down the opposition
howl noun

More from Merriam-Webster on howl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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