1
as in groan
a long low sound indicating pain or grief
she uttered an agonized moan and clutched her stomach
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wail
a crying out in grief
moans arose from the crowd as the funeral procession for the well-loved senator made its way down the street
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3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
the crowd responded with a moan when it was announced that the rest of the show would be cancelled due to the weather
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1
as in to groan
to utter a moan
he moaned and cried for days after his dog, his only companion, died
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2
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
their son moaned whenever anyone asked him to do some work
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of moan
Tom Duszynski, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Once again inducing moans of agony from Oceanside to Baja when the game mattered most, Padres hitters came up short Thursday.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Oct. 2025
Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 13 Dec. 2025
One of the decorations—an animatronic ghost—begins to shake and moan and light up, its sensor triggered by the approaching animal.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
Imagine a city street at dusk, silent save for the rising sound of a collective guttural moan.
—Tom Duszynski, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Once again inducing moans of agony from Oceanside to Baja when the game mattered most, Padres hitters came up short Thursday.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
While lying on the pavement, he could be heard moaning as an officer shouted at him not to move.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 13 Dec. 2025
One of the decorations—an animatronic ghost—begins to shake and moan and light up, its sensor triggered by the approaching animal.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
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The ball nestling into the net was greeted with the unique mix of cheers and groans in Viejas Arena that, to the gambling crowd, can mean only one thing.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The video ends as Chakraborty collapses onto a couch and groans in pain with the officer continuing to yell at him to drop the knife.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In some, relatives are seen walking among the black bags, trying to identify the deceased, as wails and screams fill the background.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
-
At times, the noise of grinding gears can obscure the soprano whoops and wails of the preschoolers.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
No suspicious whine in the air, no burning of pungent oils to put off biters.—
Antonia Quirke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
-
These are no longer the days of whine and turned-up noses.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
30 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The building was in the neighborhood of Bab Tabbaneh, one of the poorest areas in Lebanon’s second-largest city, where residents have long complained of government neglect and shoddy infrastructure.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Other conservatives have also complained about Bad Bunny performing in Spanish.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The beating allegedly occurred multiple times, intensifying the boy’s crying.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s account posted the original image from Levy Armstrong’s arrest before the official White House account posted an altered image that showed her crying.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Leaders in Illinois, Massachusetts and Vermont don’t trust their residents to act responsibly enough to fulfill Adams’ rallying cry.—
Brad Weisenstein,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Seeing Sparkle cry about Landfair’s experience — something that Landfair hadn’t fully come to terms with — was discombobulating and infuriating.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That was despite Kaley’s mother’s attempts to use third-party software to block access to the platforms, according to her complaint.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
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In 2021, the phone call from Rhoades at the insurance department described 50-plus complaints.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The work that doesn’t scream the loudest internally but decides who wins externally.—
Erik Huberman,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
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Vonn was heard screaming in pain while lying in the snow before she was airlifted off the course.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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