1
as in to cry
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
Relevance
2
as in to yell
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
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 bawl
Washington Post, 21 July 2021
Distillers bury their faces in their hands and bawl after learning MLB’s winter meetings will go virtual.
—Nick Canepa Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Oct. 2020
Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
The beagles had been ranging in the swamp for less than 10 minutes when Mutt bawled loud and clear on a red-hot track.
—Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 25 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bawl
Verb
That night, Faris saw a woman near her bawl and wide-eyed grown-ups run.
—Washington Post, 21 July 2021
Distillers bury their faces in their hands and bawl after learning MLB’s winter meetings will go virtual.
—Nick Canepa Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Oct. 2020
Noun
Instead, similar to other animals, newborn babies produce a heartbreaking (and ear-piercing) bawl.
—Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
The beagles had been ranging in the swamp for less than 10 minutes when Mutt bawled loud and clear on a red-hot track.
—Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 25 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawl
Verb
-
Citing a police report, Fox 35 and the News-Journal reported that Sullivan was waiting outside for Williams to show up to the home with her food delivery when her baby began to cry inside the home.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
15 July 2025
-
Cohost Mark Consuelos teed up the moment during Tuesday morning's host chat, which shifted to cover the topic of why exhaustive marathons often make people — both participants and spectators — cry.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
Melvin Harris, 65, recalls the neighbors yelling in the early hours of Friday.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
7 July 2025
-
Tina, 52, was later found clinging to a tree and yelling for help, another family friend said.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
6 July 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
-
The emotional toll is enormous: Dream returns to the Dreaming and washes Orpheus’ blood from his hands, sobbing in solitude.—
Aya Al-Hakim,
People.com,
7 July 2025
-
Emotional and at times sobbing, Clark shared the complicated calculation made by anyone who elected to work for Combs.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
Most of those shouting questions at Tatis for 45 minutes were doing so in Spanish.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
The 53-year-old ageless wonder was bouncing around the football field barking encouragement, shouting out orders and running circles around participants — many nearly 40 years his younger — at the Orlando Quarterback Shootout and Battle in the Pit.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Air raid sirens, the whine of kamikaze drones and booming detonations reverberated from early evening until dawn as Russia launched what Ukraine's Air Force said was a total of 539 drones and 11 missiles.—
Pavel Polityuk,
USA Today,
4 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
-
Leander, the little engine that could, roared into the 8th position, boasting a median household income that could make a downtown condo owner weep ($131,822, for those keeping score at home).—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
-
Clean enough to make Gwyneth Paltrow weep and somehow still actually effective, the SOS (Save Our Skin) Sunscreen, from Tower 28, applies smoothly.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
Golden Goose screams effortless cool girl with the unique, layered designs that demand a double take.—
April Benshosan,
Glamour,
14 July 2025
-
Elderly residents rushed to their windows to scream and beg for help as smoke filled the hallways.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawl. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share