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
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Bergholm employs some very effective sound design here, giving just a hint of animalistic growling to the kid’s lusty cries.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The veteran center has been known to whip a towel at the bench or flip a middle finger at an opponent or growl at his teammates to go away during walk-off interviews.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for growl
Verb
Customers miss the growling revving of gas vehicles with noisy internal combustion engines, the CEO noted.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Bergholm employs some very effective sound design here, giving just a hint of animalistic growling to the kid’s lusty cries.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
Then the entrepreneurial growl.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The veteran center has been known to whip a towel at the bench or flip a middle finger at an opponent or growl at his teammates to go away during walk-off interviews.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for growl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for growl
Verb
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Afterward, a student in the audience complained to his parents that, at the event, the deaths of Palestinian civilians had been characterized as collateral damage—a regrettable but unavoidable consequence of the battle against Hamas.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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The driver and passenger in the BMW complained of pain.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the new show comes with the pedigree of a classic 1975 Sidney Lumet bank-heist movie, with Al Pacino roaring his way through the starring role.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
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But the images and slogans roaring across social media in this first month of the war in Iran may be something new.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Panthers fans excitedly rumbled in his mentions.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
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Across the Houston area, residents described hearing a low, rumbling sound that many compared to thunder, even though the skies were clear, according to CBS affiliate KHOU.—
Kierra Frazier,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And when transportation snarls, that means any business that needs somebody to be somewhere at a particular time feels an immediate impact.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
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The lengthy delays to get through security checkpoints come as more travelers are going on trips for spring break and running into snarls because of the partial government shutdown.—
Austin Denean,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For families This hotel doesn’t scream family-friendly and there’s no kids’ menu in the restaurants.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
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Martens plans to scream, if not louder, than with more originality.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Or get ready for a lot of groaning and whining.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
25 Mar. 2026
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With LeBron James buying into a supporting actor role, the Lakers are a legitimate threat because Doncic is more focused on scoring buckets than whining to officials.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One minute later, Pedro Neto was yellow-carded for moaning.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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The Freight House building creaks and moans underfoot, and passing trains produce little more than a subtle hum.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In fact, the director was egging me on, encouraging me to go further with the hunching and muttering.—
Andrew Martin,
Vogue,
9 Mar. 2026
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Old friend Daniel Vladar was spectacular in making 26 saves, several of which had Morgan Geekie (nine total shots, five on net, two blocked, two misses) muttering to himself.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Growl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/growl. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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