1
as in cry
a crying out in grief
a prolonged wail arose from every corner of the city as the victims of the earthquake were unearthed from the rubble
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in groan
a long low sound indicating pain or grief
rescuers heard a faint wail coming from the pile of rubble, a sure sign that one of the victims was still alive
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3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
a transit fare increase that is sure to bring wails from the straphangers
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1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the state's residents are always wailing about their high taxes
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2
3
as in to groan
to utter a moan
the patient lay in her bed, occasionally softly wailing in pain
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wail
Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
There was grit and grime to his feedback-heavy guitar wails, but there was sweep and grandeur too, more apparent on stage than on record.
—Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
Songs aside, the true reason to pack into the Mojave tent was to watch one of the great guitar heroes skronk and wail throughout, whopping unexpected breaks and whoop-ready vocals with an aplomb that both feels careless and entirely cathartic.
—Jeff Miller, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wail
Noun
And from the stage, the unmistakable wail of a harmonica cut through the warm April air.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
There was grit and grime to his feedback-heavy guitar wails, but there was sweep and grandeur too, more apparent on stage than on record.
—Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
Others wailed and screamed, raising their arms in the air.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
Songs aside, the true reason to pack into the Mojave tent was to watch one of the great guitar heroes skronk and wail throughout, whopping unexpected breaks and whoop-ready vocals with an aplomb that both feels careless and entirely cathartic.
—Jeff Miller, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wail
Noun
-
Rallying cries were common before key games, particularly those where Everton’s top-flight status was on the line.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Her friends and family cry in relief.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Just look at the second-period power play where Boldy kept trying to skate through Colorado’s neutral-zone forecheck again and again and again — three times turning pucks over at the blue line, causing the Wild to retreat and their fans to audibly groan.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
The seeing-eye dog let out a groan.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Both motors stay at or below 45 dBA even at full power, something that will genuinely surprise anyone used to the whine of current-generation motors.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 10,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The whine from that straight-cut gearbox alone is painfully loud, say nothing of the wide-open exhaust on the 4.0 L flat-six.—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cassidy also complained that a new primary system enacted last year confused voters by requiring them to ask for a partisan ballot instead of the all-party primary previously in place.—
Thomas Beaumont,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
-
So, what Rodriguez and Cohen Higgins are complaining about is what happens four and five years or even ten years down the line.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Those muscles are better suited to holding the lips in a steady funnel to howl than to flicker through expressions.—
Niranjana Rajalakshmi,
Popular Science,
14 May 2026
-
By nightfall, 100-mile-per-hour winds howled through the canyons.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Coach Arne Slot moaned about VAR but his problems lie much closer to home.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
The score by Joseph Bishara is shivery with chorales that moan like wraiths in the wind.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As the credits rolled and the audience broke out into applause, lead Thatcher burst into tears as Refn paced back and forth, hyping up the crowd for the 7-minute ovation.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Throughout the day, friends and classmates gathered, wiping away tears, comforting each other and trying to process the sudden loss.—
Shelley Bortz,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
And then Morton spoke up, and told them no more crying.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
13 May 2026
-
The latest in the growing Bachelor Nation–to–Bravo pipeline, this former crying virgin hasn’t done much crying and certainly is done virgining.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wail. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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