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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of growl
Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025
Oakey's behavior hilariously mirrors this stereotype, making the comparison all the more entertaining.
Dogs, like Oakey, may growl for a variety of reasons.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2025
To sing lead, the producers recruited Willis and his meaty soul growl, then on display in the original cast of the Broadway version of The Wiz.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for growl
Verb
Is the relentless trudge through the desert almost over?
Will the Gators soon growl once again?
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025
Oakey's behavior hilariously mirrors this stereotype, making the comparison all the more entertaining.
Dogs, like Oakey, may growl for a variety of reasons.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
In response, Rudolph lets his directorial vision loose here, a giddy cinematic id that displays more imagination and more daring in every cathode tube and every street sign, every growl and every rant, than most Hollywood movies have in their whole run time.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2025
To sing lead, the producers recruited Willis and his meaty soul growl, then on display in the original cast of the Broadway version of The Wiz.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for growl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for growl
Verb
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Pundits complained last year’s Cannes was a light affair, but that had to do with the bottleneck created by the strikes, for one.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
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The new plan arrives after many existing Claude subscribers complained of hitting rate limits frequently.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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When my rifle roared, the Phantom crashed to the ground.—
Jeffrey A. Brunk,
Outdoor Life,
10 Apr. 2025
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Since the storms roared across Kentucky last week, the state has reported five deaths, over 140 water rescues, and thousands of power outages.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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First up, get ready to rumble because WrestleMania 41 starts tonight on Peacock!—
Kasey Caminiti,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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Now add another entry to the list of economic dogma being rumbled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s duties: the idea of a safe-haven investment.—
Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Severe storms along the southeast coast Monday have also caused snarls for travelers, with over 6,300 flights within, into, or out of the US delayed Monday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2025
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The animals’ golden-brown fur is matted with blood, their muzzles locked in an eternal snarl.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Polley’s Polley ends up (understandably) screaming in frustration when Matt pratfalls his way into the shot, a tantrum the indie director could hardly relate to as someone known for facilitating calm, peaceful productions on intimate character studies.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
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Players leaping and bouncing off each other, sprinting to the side of the floor to scream at elated supporters, falling into their coaches’ arms for long embraces as the confetti fell.—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The one from Rucker felt like a routine stinger, nothing to whine about.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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One of her horses bucked and whined as she was loaded onto a trailer Tuesday morning, not wanting to get packed as cargo in a shipping container.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In fact, regulars’ favorite thing to moan about, year after year, is the ever-mounting cost of Carnival fete tickets and costumes.—
Baz Dreisinger,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Ramirez said the detectives had found belongings near the storm drain entrance and heard what sounded like a woman moaning from inside the storm drain.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Victoria barely muttered a word to Kate, who approached the Ratliffs during a meal, making the exchange extra awkward.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
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Gray muttered at a moderator, pointing at the placard on the postgame table that proudly displayed his name: Hayden Gray.—
Luca Evans,
The Denver Post,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Growl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/growl. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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