whinny 1 of 2

as in to neigh
to make the cry typical of a horse the father whinnied and reared as his young daughter pretended to ride him

Synonyms & Similar Words

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whinny

2 of 2

noun

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 whinny
Verb
The downy woodpecker also whinnies like a miniature horse throughout the breeding season. Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025 That doesn’t include food for the horses, who start whinnying. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024 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 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
Noun
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 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 Animal grunts and growls, horse neighs and whinnies. Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Apr. 2018 More important, the track is where Charley meets a pretty quarter horse named Lean on Pete, whose velvety brown coat and barely audible whinnies become a balm for the lonely teenager. Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 5 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
  • One-take monologues are sliced in half, plot twists pause mid-gasp, and a car chase sequence screeches to a halt.
    Viren Naidu, IndieWire, 24 Mar. 2025
  • While not functional, the shiny cars served as props for young kids to vape, scroll on their phones, and screech on top of.
    Tiana Randall, Forbes, 13 Mar. 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
  • Frontman Bryan Garris let out a mighty pig squeal as guest vocalist Poppy thrashed and screamed across the stage, dressed like an even more macabre girl from The Ring.
    Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Listen for a squeal and know that your prank was a success! 20.
    Kimberly Stoney, Parents, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Goats in real life are smart, sensitive social creatures who communicate through bleats and body language.
    Michael Freeman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Every night the lamb would cry, and be told to hush, for its bleats disturbed their sleep.
    Karen Zautyk, New York Daily News, 24 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • The Republican conference is rife with sticking points as budget hawks squawk and some House Republicans insist on increasing the state and local tax deduction.
    Taylor Giorno, The Hill, 30 Dec. 2024
  • There’s no dialogue, at least none decipherable to human ears — everything is a symphony of meows, woofs, squawks, grunts, squeaks, squeals and simian cries.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The tornado’s roar lasted only five seconds, but that was enough to demolish Bott’s service station, a family business and a Moundville, Missouri, landmark, leaving Bott in shock and with a feeling of uncertainty.
    Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Mid-set, Durst made a surprise entrance to sing alongside her, to the roar of the crowd.
    Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Bonobos, great apes related to us and chimpanzees that live in the Republic of Congo, communicate with vocal calls including peeps, hoots, yelps, grunts, and whistles.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Instead, the yelps and clucks from three calls orchestrated by Dr. H. S. (Buck) Banton had resulted in our facing down a pair of Alabama gobblers in an area that didn’t have a single turkey before 1956.
    Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Whinny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whinny. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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