: a sharp shrill bark or cry (as of a dog or turkey)
also
: squeal
yelped; yelping; yelps
: to utter a sharp quick shrill cry
dogs yelp
: to utter with a yelp
Examples of yelp in a Sentence
Verb
The dog yelped in pain.
yelped with surprise when everything fell off the closet shelf and onto his head
Recent Examples on the Web
Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
Lee's voice has always been Sui generis, a distinctive instrument caught between a whine and a yelp yet immediately recognizable.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 June 2026
Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Saar yelps in an elevated octave before slipping them on … And not two seconds later kicking them off.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for yelp
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Noun
Some yelp in pain after stepping barefoot on a peanut or toy.
—Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
Lee's voice has always been Sui generis, a distinctive instrument caught between a whine and a yelp yet immediately recognizable.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 June 2026
Verb
His daughter yelps delightedly as a calf wanders close to the fence.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Saar yelps in an elevated octave before slipping them on … And not two seconds later kicking them off.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for yelp
Cite this Entry
“Yelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yelp. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
yelp
1 of 2 noun
: a sharp quick shrill bark or cry
the yelps of turkeys
yelp
2 of 2 verb
: to utter a yelp or a similar sound
he yelped in pain
heard the dog yelping again
yelper
noun
Etymology
Noun
Middle English yelpen "to boast, cry out," from Old English gielpan "to boast, exult"
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