sounds off

verb

present tense third-person singular of sound off
1
as in shouts
to voice one's opinions freely with force she never missed a chance to sound off about the latest "stupid" political decisions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in yells
to speak so as to be heard at a distance the guard captain commanded each sentry to sound off

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 sounds off Karmelo Anthony supporter sounds off on verdict Prosecutor Bill Wirskye and Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis spoke to Fox News' Brooke Taylor on Wednesday and expressed relief that the jury convicted Anthony of murder. — Kelsie Cairns , Michael Ruiz , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026 After a gobbler sounds off, try to move within 200 yards of his position, (150 yards is better), and then choose your position. — Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026 Here Merry sounds off on all these topics and more. — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sounds off
  1. shouts
  2. yells
  3. speaks out
  4. cries
  5. speaks up
  6. calls
  7. talks up
  8. pipes up
Verb
  • O’Kane shouts when Tom Brokaw announces that one of the men suspected of plotting the attack has been detained.
    — Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities, shouts slogans during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa on September 10, 2026.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of shouts
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
  • Things escalate as the two share a car ride home from a fancy gala and the bad man yells at her for embarrassing him.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of yells
Verb
  • Meghan McCain, a conservative panelist who left the show in 2021, regularly speaks out about the program on social media and via her Citizen McCain talk show.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Jessica Mann speaks out on Harvey Weinstein mistrial Mann reacted to the outcome in a statement obtained by USA TODAY.
    — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Definition of speaks out
Verb
  • In the other van, Gen cries tears of pride and fulfillment after Aesha and Nathan praise her performance in the last charter.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
  • On the floor, my brother cries into the carpet, pawing at the ground.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of cries
Verb
  • But one of the few voices of reason, scientist Ganesh (Riz Ahmed, also one of the few performances allowed any nuance), speaks up to explain how that would set off a whole new chain of disasters, refusing to sugarcoat the awful truth for the public.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Jason speaks up as to whether he felt bullied or harassed in the house.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026
Definition of speaks up
Verb
  • Johnny calls David with this update just in time to stop Cathcarts’ final offer from reaching the Taylor & Byrne camp.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Then in 1989, an assailant attacked an elementary school in Stockton, California, using an assault rifle to kill five people and wound 29, prompting public outcry and calls to restrict such weapons.
    — Robert Spitzer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of calls
Verb
  • Gaming Tests Typically, for mini PCs, our graphics benchmarks end there, but my curiosity demanded more testing, especially with how much Geekom talks up gaming performance.
    — Michael Justin Allen Sexton, PC Magazine, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Alibaba talks up chips Alibaba has positioned itself as one of China’s leading players, developing chips for AI and selling its services via its cloud computing unit.
    — Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 13 May 2026
Definition of talks up
Verb
  • Teddy’s babyish voice pipes up from the back seat.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of pipes up

Browse Nearby Words

sounds
sounds off
sounds (out)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sounds off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sounds%20off. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inscrutable

See Definitions and Examples »

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