howled; howling; howls
Synonyms of howlnext

intransitive verb

1
: to emit a loud sustained doleful sound characteristic of members of the dog family
2
: to cry out loudly and without restraint under strong impulse (such as pain, grief, or amusement)
3
: to go on a spree or rampage

transitive verb

1
: to utter with unrestrained outcry
2
: to drown out or cause to fail by adverse outcry
used especially with down
howl noun

Examples of howl in a Sentence

The dogs were howling at the moon. several coyotes began howling close by as the sun went down
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Elsewhere, Paula Rego’s two self portraits from 2017 show the artist howling through expressive pastel strokes. Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026 After his partners had been gone a few minutes, the big gray wolf openly ran to within 100 yards of the caribou, sat down in plain sight, and started to howl. Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026 But the way Marchenko insists on drawing lines of uncomplicated beauty through the howling darkness of these songs gives his solitude a luxurious, almost decadent quality. Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026 McCartney did not go off-mic to show off to this crowd, but his ability to sing material that calls for a fair amount of howling remains a more than impressive enough stunt, at 83. Chris Willman, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for howl

Word History

Etymology

Middle English houlen; akin to Middle High German hiulen to howl

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of howl was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Howl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/howl. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

howl

verb
1
: to make a long loud mournful sound like that of a dog
2
: to cry out loudly (as with pain, grief, or amusement)
howled in protest
howling with laughter
3
: to drown out or cause to fail by an outcry
howled down the opposition
howl noun

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