sound 1 of 5

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as in to echo
to continue or be repeated in a series of reflected sound waves the stranded hiker's cries for help sounded throughout the canyon

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sound

2 of 5

verb (2)

1
as in to scale
to measure the depth of (as a body of water) typically with a weighted line the pilot sounded the river to make sure we weren't in any danger of running aground

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2
as in to plunge
to cast oneself head first into deep water a whale suddenly surfaced and then, just as suddenly, sounded

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sound

3 of 5

noun (1)

as in hearing
range of hearing wandered off, out of her parents' sight and sound

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sound

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noun (2)

as in strait
a narrow body of water between two land masses Long Island Sound is between Connecticut and Long Island, New York

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sound

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adjective

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word sound different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of sound are cogent, convincing, telling, and valid. While all these words mean "having such force as to compel serious attention and usually acceptance," sound implies a basis of flawless reasoning or of solid grounds.

a sound proposal for reviving the economy

When might cogent be a better fit than sound?

While in some cases nearly identical to sound, cogent may stress either weight of sound argument and evidence or lucidity of presentation.

the prosecutor's cogent summation won over the jury

When is convincing a more appropriate choice than sound?

The meanings of convincing and sound largely overlap; however, convincing suggests a power to overcome doubt, opposition, or reluctance to accept.

a convincing argument for welfare reform

When could telling be used to replace sound?

While the synonyms telling and sound are close in meaning, telling stresses an immediate and crucial effect striking at the heart of a matter.

a telling example of bureaucratic waste

When can valid be used instead of sound?

In some situations, the words valid and sound are roughly equivalent. However, valid implies being supported by objective truth or generally accepted authority.

a valid reason for being absent
a valid marriage

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 sound
Verb
Yet Greenblatt is right to sound the trumpet. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025 And Oasis sounds great, by the way. Alex Edelman, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
Among its nine Emmys were wins for contemporary costumes, production design, casting, music supervision, picture editing, sound, and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for recurring cast member Bryan Cranston. Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025 Emmys were also given to Rebel Ridge for TV Movie, Arcane for Outstanding Animation, and to The Penguin for hairstyling, costumes, prosthetic makeup, visual effects, sound editing and sound mixing. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Curse words flew out of her mouth like closed fists, but no one could hear her because the picket is sound-proof. Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025 Both Chrome and Safari are sound choices for your Apple devices. PC Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sound
Adjective
  • Searching for a logical progression from The Office and like-minded comedies, so far The Paper has come up with a strange, often funny hybrid, with characters experiencing Parks and Rec idealism and Office-style fluorescent-light tedium simultaneously and sometimes incoherently.
    Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Without a body to put to rest, even when there is no other logical conclusion than death, people can imagine and cling to the most improbable of alternatives.
    Bjorn Dihle, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Lifestyle habit such as exercise and a healthy diet can help keep inflammation in check.
    Sarah Garone, Health, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Loneliness is the healthy emotion that nudges us to get off the couch and go be with people.
    Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The sturdy steel frame holds up to 650 pounds, while the insulated cup holders cool and keep drinks within reach.
    Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
  • If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Rather than advocating a one-size-fits-all, outdated approach to leadership, Hinson is helping executives expand their leadership impact by using their own coherent leadership approach, rather than following outdated leadership rules.
    Serenity Gibbons, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The wisest people can narrate their entire life — mistakes included — as a coherent whole.
    Big Think, Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Beneath the surface, though, all is not well.
    Ian King, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The ads for it were…well, pure 1970s.
    Chris Morris, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Reese wants to skip through the rebuilding process, but doing so has already put Chicago in a position in which building a stronger talent base is going to be much more difficult.
    Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Speaking to the crowd before the march, Eve Devitt, an Idaho human rights activist, said that LGBTQ+ history is built on fighting for rights, which makes the community stronger.
    Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • So there is no logic or any rational decisions made.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The appellate court had held that the INS could not rely on these immigration sweeps but, rather, needed to articulate objective facts and rational inferences to support a reasonable suspicion that each person detained is undocumented.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Overall, there is a robust market with rising demand for dishwashers worldwide.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • In data science, it is applied to develop and implement robust error-correcting codes for data storage and transmission.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sound. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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