1
as in cries
to shed tears often while making meaningless sounds as a sign of pain or distress
he bawled for days after his dog died
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in shouts
to speak so as to be heard at a distance
the mover was bawling for help as the refrigerator was about to slip out of his hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawls
Verb
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The majority of the action, however, unfolds in a claustrophobic one-shot inside a tent, with our heroes quaking at the whoops and cries surrounding them.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025 -
The viral recording also captured her emotions, screams and cries throughout the intense labor process.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Nothing about WristbandGuy shouts at all.—
Daniel Kolitz,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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The mother shouts her daughter’s name.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The pride in Plough’s expressions and the tone of his voice was reflective of the theme that every victory is to be savored in this rough-and-tumble sport, one in which no one weeps for the wounded.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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Jesus and Antonio are insulting Veejay, Veejay is insulting Antonio and Jesus, the twins are getting more heated, and Veejay, in her most vulnerable moment all season, weeps to Christian about feeling misunderstood.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Matt yells, encouraging her to turn and run.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
20 Oct. 2025
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Glitter Gel Pen Taylor spins like a girl in a brand new dress, while Fountain Pen Taylor yells at caterers.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Darcey sobs as Georgi continues to defend himself for not easily opening up to others.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Dever threw the compliment right back at Pascal and Ramsey, for the scene when Ramsey’s Ellie sobs over Joel’s lifeless body.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As the puppy lets out another barrage of whimpers, the kitten then looks directly at the camera, as if wondering casually what's going on.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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Well, a University of Texas at Arlington researcher is aiming to turn barks, howls and whimpers of man’s best friend into intelligible speech — a kind of Rosetta Stone of woof.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Boston Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The long recess has drawn howls of protest from Democratic leaders, who have returned to Washington to demand negotiations that might lead to a bipartisan spending bill that could reopen the government.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
10 Oct. 2025
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More importantly, the most recent of these sightings, just two years ago, was by a railroad passenger, so keep a lookout for a tall, hairy figure, or for massive footprints, which are also commonly reported, and listen for the mysterious creature’s spine-tingling howls.—
The Editors,
Outside,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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What can be dizzying about the collection is the way traditional themes of Yiddish song and Hebrew liturgy — lyrics of resilience in the face of persecution, prayers of consolation for the brokenhearted, Lamentations read on Tisha B’Av — are recast with the Palestinians as their protagonists.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Aug. 2025
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An artwork from the series Wall of Lamentations by Santiago Montoya that was on view in March at Halcyon Gallery, in London.—
Harper’s Magazine,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawls. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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