bawled

verb

past tense of bawl
1
as in cried
to shed tears often while making meaningless sounds as a sign of pain or distress he bawled for days after his dog died

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in shouted
to speak so as to be heard at a distance the mover was bawling for help as the refrigerator was about to slip out of his hands

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bawled The baby bawled, the women and girls tiptoed, and at last Lina and the Brown family reached the ground and ran across the street. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026 Both men bawled in a viral clip that brought their accomplishment into full focus. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2026 Crowds of hundreds with their heads lowered bawled loudly in unison; others fell to the ground and shook in their grief. — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026 The kid just broke down and bawled. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bawled
  1. cried
  2. shouted
  3. sobbed
  4. yelled
  5. wept
  6. screamed
Verb
  • Another girl cried non-stop—possibly from fear and nervousness rather than sorrow.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • At one point, Blair cried with tears running down her face, and her lawyer Reitzas moved to wipe them from her face as Blair remained handcuffed during the proceedings.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of cried
Verb
  • Children shouted, amped up on sugar and adrenaline, while orange leaves crunched under their feet.
    — Isa Mudannayake, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Farrelly was on hand to introduce the movie and shouted out his star, newcomer Anthony Ippolito, who has already earned praise for his portrayal of Stallone.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of shouted
Verb
  • Five players and the referee tried to catch it, Steph recalled, while its owner sobbed on the sidelines.
    — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Minutes before he was sentenced Monday to life in prison for the murder of his wife, Caleb Flynn sobbed as his in-laws read letters written by his two daughters, asking him heartbreaking questions about their mother’s death.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of sobbed
Verb
  • The customer became irate and yelled at the 16-year-old employee behind the counter, shop owner David Forgit said.
    — Sydney Page, Washington Post, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Investigators say Mascara yelled at Rose and threw rocks in his direction, hitting Rose's Jeep.
    — Jennifer Borrasso, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of yelled
Verb
  • There, mother and daughter wept and composed letters to each other.
    — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Their families wept at the church, overtaken by the power of their love.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of wept
Verb
  • Peralta pumped a fist and screamed joyfully walking off the mound in the sixth after fanning Petey Halpin swinging at a 3-2 changeup.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Back in California, Dodgers fans screamed at their television sets.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of screamed

Browse Nearby Words

bawl
bawled
bawled out
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Cite this Entry

“Bawled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bawled. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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