bark 1 of 3

verb (1)

Definition of barknext
as in to peel
to remove the natural covering of barking a tree will probably kill it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

bark

2 of 3

verb (2)

ˈbärk How to pronounce bark (audio)
as in to snarl
to speak sharply or irritably the new supervisor found that speaking to people with a civil tongue got better results than barking at them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bark

3 of 3

noun

as in ship
a boat equipped with one or more sails took a small bark out on the lake

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 bark
Verb
The company says its onboard AI can identify individual dogs, classify barking and track a dog with its pan-and-tilt camera. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 This type of reinforcement can not only disrupt barking at that moment but also decrease unwanted behaviors. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
The formula draws upon plant extracts like cypress leaf and skullcap to reduce oil production, while willow bark extract and lactic acid clear out impurities, giving the appearance of visibly smaller pores. — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026 With every whimper, sigh, howl, bark and head tilt, these dogs create an empathetic portrayal of a highly intelligent creature that has been through battle and has the scars (and nightmares) to prove it. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bark
  1. snarl
  2. ship
  3. shout
  4. schooner
  5. yell
  6. frigate
  7. scream
  8. sloop
Verb
  • Since 2024, the company has made clear its traditional customer base just isn’t all that interested in a car that doesn’t come with a snarling combustion engine.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Starting Saturday evening and continuing into Sunday morning’s high tide, the ocean poured into urban cities up and down the coast, breaking a recent record for flooding in Fort Lauderdale and snarling traffic in both counties.
    — Alex Harris Updated September 27, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of snarl
Noun
  • Navy officials initially said leadership had not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship.
    — Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The ministry said that port and ship repair facilities in the southern Odesa region and ships carrying cargo for the Ukrainian military were also hit.
    — SAMYA KULLAB, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of ship
Verb
  • The interiors, meanwhile, never shout but still seem to wow with luxe Mediterranean touches and tasteful art.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • News of their separation had been made public earlier this year when LaBeouf was arrested in New Orleans for two charges of simple battery where he was eventually given probation despite allegedly also harassing locals and shouting homophobic slurs.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of shout
Noun
  • The schooner remained intact on the island’s Miacomet Beach for two weeks, allowing islanders to save 700 bales of cotton using skids and teams of oxen, records show.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The splintered timbers, fastened together by rusted iron, emerged near an area where remains believed to be from the Warren Sawyer, a wooden schooner lost in 1884, have been found before.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of schooner
Verb
  • Holmberg jumps in his vehicle and catches up to McConnell as Lafayette County deputy Kenneth Lewie holds McConnell at gunpoint and yells at him to get on the ground.
    — Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Someone reported that a man with blood on his pants was yelling for help, according to the 911 call sheet.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of yell
Noun
  • The equipment was intended to record how the weapons affected the frigate.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
  • In 2026, Tokyo lifted its decades-long ban on exporting lethal arms and agreed to build three frigates for Australia and to jointly produce eight more.
    — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of frigate
Verb
  • Set the scene The Homestead screams quirky, artful, and vintage yet restored—capturing a whimsical, fairytale ambiance embellished with hints of Southern charm.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In reviewing the body camera footage, police found that the child was standing on the stairwell at one point and was screaming while holding her left arm up in the air, according to the warrant affidavit.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of scream
Noun
  • The new 280-footer, currently known as Project 410, will become the world’s largest sloop upon launch.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Sailing aboard a 30-foot sloop on Acapulco Bay, Henry Kissinger kept a protective arm around his new wife, as a motorboat filled with the press corps followed.
    — Robert D. Mcfadden, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of sloop

Browse Nearby Words

baring
bark
barked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bark. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bark

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bark

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All