hoots 1 of 2

plural of hoot
1
as in shouts
a loud vocal expression of strong emotion the courtroom erupted in hoots of laughter upon hearing the witness's sarcastic retort to the lawyer's arrogant remark

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in snorts
a vocal sound made to express scorn or disapproval he ignored the hoots and jeers coming from the back of the crowd and kept on speaking until he'd had his say

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4

hoots

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hoot

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 hoots
Noun
Their hoots and hollers drowned Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s explanation of how a title defense fell short. Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 31 May 2026 Wiseman said to hoots from the crowd of media gathered at the site. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026 Owl hoots are most effective at striking up turkeys when owls are naturally active, which is around dawn and dusk. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026 Cowboy and cowgirl hoots and hollers complement the rumbling of the massive animals’ hooves as they’re rounded up into the corrals. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025 There are hoots and hollers from raucous tourists on Bourbon Street, for example. Matt Alderton, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025 There are a few hoots and hollers as the others agree or protest. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2025 All the segments understand the assignment, aiming primarily to elicit hoots and hollers. James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025 The town hall crowd received my comments with strong clapping and appreciative hoots and hollers. Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoots
Noun
  • Stick with alcohol-free, subtle formulas so the scent settles into the fabric rather than shouts from it.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
  • Gone are the shouts, squeals, and Bowie impressions of 2022’s Freewave Lucifer fck.
    Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • The Rodents of Unusual Size that attack Westley in a swamp work because they are played by small men in rodent suits, rather than coolly conjured from pixels; their deliberate artifice is the thrill, and Reiner provided the voice for their hideous snorts.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Zachary Stevenson’s performance replicates the nerdy-yet-hip Texan through impressive guitar licks and superb vocals that are equally comfortable with sweet ballads and on-the-edge rockabilly songs.
    Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
  • Elk, deer, and buffalo had migrated to and from mineral licks throughout North America for millennia.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • And then there were the screams.
    Latif Love June 18, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
  • The screams, contortions and vocal shifts were made without CGI or artificial intelligence, and that detail is its own form of campaign currency in an era when audiences and voters alike are increasingly skeptical of digital enhancement.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • In the summer, the temperature is always above 100; in the winter, the wind howls and shakes our townhouse.
    Zinzi Clemmons, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
  • Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Ohm quickly insults nearly every employee at this small hotel within moments of meeting them, except for the young, pretty bartender, Fiona (Florence Ordesh).
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Saariaho never once loses control of momentum and never insults her own tastefulness.
    Justin Davidson, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The following Story shows Emmy hooked up to various wires and tubes in the hospital as Morgan holds her in her arms and cries.
    Georgia Slater, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
  • The anti-Trump cries soon turned to bellowing cheers when those same cameras quickly cut to Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson courtside.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 8 June 2026
Noun
  • There were boos from the crowd for the first one in the game Tuesday between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
    CBS News, CBS News, 18 June 2026
  • But in the match’s two mandatory hydration breaks, loud boos rained down from the stands.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hoots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoots. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.

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