howling 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of howlingnext
1
as in yelling

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2
as in crying

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howling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of howl
1
as in screaming
to make a long loud mournful sound several coyotes began howling close by as the sun went down the wind howled on the open plain

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in shrieking
to cry out loudly and emotionally the boy howled in pain when his baby sister bit him

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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 howling
Adjective
After the rain stopped, there was a strange howling sound from the wind that was loud, constant, and all night long. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025 Aaron Chown—Press Association via AP Images People remove a new artwork by Banksy, depicting a howling wolf painted on a satellite dish that was placed on a shop roof in Peckham, south London. — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Iggy Pop, still prancing, howling and whooping with his chest exposed and jeans sliding down his waist, claims the title of the festival’s leading elder statesman. — Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 Trapped in their castle by a howling rainstorm, our minifig royalty takes in a bevy of drenched animals. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for howling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for howling
  1. yelling
  2. crying
  3. screaming
  4. shrieking
  5. vocal
  6. sad
  7. wailing
  8. squealing
Adjective
  • Think Pictionary, but with way more yelling and questionable drawings.
    — Francesca Krempa, StyleCaster, 11 Nov. 2025
Definition of yelling
Adjective
  • Some in the pro-crying camp pointed to articles and headlines as proof.
    — Jon Sarlin, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of crying
Verb
  • 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
  • Mahomes’ emotion seemed to bubble over in the second quarter, with CBS cameras catching the quarterback screaming at offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of screaming
Verb
  • The addition of the electric guitar, drums and Jack White’s shrieking vocals transformed it into a rock song, while also keeping its signature folksiness.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The other customers cowered in the corners, while crowds formed at the windows outside, shrieking and recording the scene on their phones.
    — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
Definition of shrieking
Adjective
  • The South London artist channels Disney soundtrack tropes into claustrophobic strings and drones, while a handful of vocal tracks hint darkly at real-world family drama.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Best Pop Solo Performance can be a space where the Recording Academy recognizes — and perhaps awards — artists with songs that truly connect with the world, regardless of vocal chops.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of vocal
Adjective
  • Spark, a writer of the first rank, brought her beautifully to life in this moving, rather sad novel of Edinburgh in the 1930s.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And yet the allegation against her now enters Orange County’s long, sad spectrum of anti-Mexican political history.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of sad
Verb
  • Luann is unfazed and unmoving, cigar in hand, fedora on her head, posing for the camera despite the woman wailing from beneath her ass.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The bold clarity of the performances was energizing, but the wailing sometimes sounded like parody grief.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of wailing
Verb
  • Each of its elements began, long ago, in the loamy earth, hatching and creeping or slipping, slick and squealing, from the womb of the mind.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Video shot by OnScene TV on August 9 showed people rushing in and out of the store, some carrying merchandise, as roaring engines and squealing tires are heard in the background.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of squealing

Browse Nearby Words

howlers
howling
howls
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Cite this Entry

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

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