1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he was growling about how much work he had to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to roar
to make a long loud deep noise or cry
the neighbor's dog growls every time we pass the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of growl
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
When Bella began to growl, the neighbor ignored requests to leave the premises at which point one of the men from next door also came over.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
This Max Max style road race never fails to elicit gasps of wonder and growls of friendly frustration when the dice come up in an unexpected way.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for growl
Verb
Canines may growl, whine, snap, or attack another pet or person that is getting in the way between the two of you.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
When Bella began to growl, the neighbor ignored requests to leave the premises at which point one of the men from next door also came over.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
Noun
Beginning at the very apex of his falsetto, Hawkins tears through his ode to a life-changing love with an impassioned vocal performance that peppers his slight drawl with histrionic growls, effortlessly matching the rousing energy of the track’s instrumentation.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
This Max Max style road race never fails to elicit gasps of wonder and growls of friendly frustration when the dice come up in an unexpected way.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for growl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for growl
Verb
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Nobody is complaining about the bang for the buck regarding Betts or the Dodgers.—
Terence Moore,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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The crowds have since grown, but with more teams at fewer sites, some teams have complained about logistics like sharing court space, finding enough hotels and the travel schedule.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Ultra Music Festival 2025 roared into its thrilling third-day finale Sunday, as the event celebrated its 25th anniversary in the heart of downtown Miami.—
Miami Herald Newsroom,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2025
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And hurricane-force gusts can roar across the base at speeds of up to 125 mph.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Severe thunderstorms will rumble to life Wednesday afternoon in parts of western Oregon and push into western Washington a few hours later.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
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Mount Spurr, just to the west of the city of Anchorage, is rumbling.—
Erik Klemetti,
Discover Magazine,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Kokkonen needs more snarl After drawing praise from Sheldon Keefe to start training camp last year, Mikko Kokkonen is quietly putting together another stellar AHL season.—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
1 Jan. 2025
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Adabi said adding traffic lanes does not necessarily relieve freeway congestion, though that seems to be the most straight-forward approach to solving the snarls.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacramento Bee,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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These tantrums may involve kicking, screaming, and stomping.—
Wendy Wisner,
Health,
30 Mar. 2025
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Yet no other sweet treat screams Easter like PEEPS® candy does.—
Lanee Lee,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Now, De Niro plays him by imitating Pesci’s nasal, wiseguy whine and adopting the cagey posture of a lifelong predator.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 Mar. 2025
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Canines may growl, whine, snap, or attack another pet or person that is getting in the way between the two of you.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This was a departure from Mourinho and Conte, who both moaned about investment, attacked the club culture, exited unceremoniously, and bad-mouthed them afterward.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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At the time of its release, fancy people who considered themselves film aficionados moaned that Dumb and Dumber was the beginning of the end of civilization.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Does anyone dare mutter a single un-strategic comment about the food?—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2025
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Ally and Jay are both sarcastic, too — their best lines are muttered under their breaths — and their repartee becomes more interesting than the bloody theatrics.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Growl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/growl. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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