1
as in complains
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he was growling about how much work he had to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in roars
to make a long loud deep noise or cry
the neighbor's dog growls every time we pass the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of growls
Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Go grab your passport, a wad of bail money, and enough thirst for wine that growls at history and food that tastes like the ocean punched you in the mouth.
—John Noakes, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2025
Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
They are known to work in teams when hunting, and communicate with chirps, growls, whistles and body language.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Go grab your passport, a wad of bail money, and enough thirst for wine that growls at history and food that tastes like the ocean punched you in the mouth.
—John Noakes, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2025
Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for growls
Verb
-
There has been a consistent pattern with Florida football where a group of Gators fans complains about the current head coach, sportswriters mock them for having unrealistic expectations, and then those fans turn out to be totally correct.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Roman complains about pain in his feet, and Dennis offers him a foot massage.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The powerful forces can make the difference between a hurricane that roars ashore and one that spins relatively harmlessly out to sea.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The movie roars to life but seemingly forgets to breathe.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
At the mall’s free Rain Show feature, water literally pours out of the ceiling as dramatic thunder rumbles.—
Alex Schechter,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Aug. 2025
-
When a military convoy rumbles past, no one seems to notice.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Beyond the general inconvenience of snarls, skipping out on detangling can compromise both your hair’s health and its styling potential.—
Annie Blackman,
Glamour,
11 Aug. 2025
-
Traffic snarls in the Brickell area are nothing new.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Rather than let his boy be torn apart by terrible creatures in the mist, David uses a gun to mercy-kill them all and screams in anguish because there isn't a bullet left for him.—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Mom screams like a rabid animal.—
Dr. Sue Varma,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Your dad mutters for head movement, for cage cutting, for not playing off the back and creating distance.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Growls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/growls. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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