SOUNDS Synonyms: 156 Similar and Opposite Words

sounds 1 of 4

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of sound

as in echoes

to continue or be repeated in a series of reflected sound waves the stranded hiker's cries for help sounded throughout the canyon

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in seems

to give the impression of being the idea at least sounds plausible

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as in voices

to make known (as an idea, emotion, or opinion) a person who certainly isn't shy about sounding her opinions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in announces

to make known openly or publicly the grand opening of the region's newest and largest mall has been loudly sounded for months

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sounds

2 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of sound

as in plumbs

to measure the depth of (as a body of water) typically with a weighted line the pilot sounded the river to make sure we weren't in any danger of running aground

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as in plunges

to cast oneself head first into deep water a whale suddenly surfaced and then, just as suddenly, sounded

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

surfaces

sounds

3 of 4

noun (1)

plural of sound

as in hearings

range of hearing wandered off, out of her parents' sight and sound

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sounds

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural of sound

as in channels

a narrow body of water between two land masses Long Island Sound is between Connecticut and Long Island, New York

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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 sounds

Verb

That global warming is diminishing them might sounds counterintuitive — climate change, after all, is worsening much of the world’s extreme weather. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 As someone who uses a lot of different phones, this all sounds handy. — Allison Johnson, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026 So testing a movie that temporarily sounds irritating is really, really hard. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026 The music, written, according to Paul McCartney, as a message to Black Americans during the civil rights era—and more recently reinterpreted by Beyoncé—sounds from the Cornell Chimes, located 173-feet high at the top of the school’s McGraw Tower. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026 But its rapid adoption has a big downside – AI can produce information that sounds authoritative and looks polished while being completely wrong. — Kaitlin Newkirk, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026 This may seem very complicated when described, but in practice the form sounds very familiar to the ear. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026 The caller speaks in a deep, throaty voice that at times sounds almost garbled. — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026 If that sounds familiar, some of your most useful sales material may be reaching only the people who have already agreed to consider you. — Dennis Kirwan, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Noun

The East Aurora High School campus and its stadium were centrally located on the East Side, and the field lights and sounds resonated on football game nights. — Tom Strong, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 Stewart and Addyman meanwhile surveyed more than 2,000 parents to identify noises their babies responded to, which included animal sounds and other children’s laughter (both of which feature in the song). — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 And often, the sounds and music were created by Abumrad himself. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 17 Oct. 2026 Instead, Hurley created and collected bespoke sounds, often using her body as an instrument, then rearranged and remixed them to fit each section of the film. — Ben Croll, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 Every space, both indoors and out, is filled with the sounds of music. — Courtney Cole, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 The spatial audio imaging places the varying effects around the area of my TV, though there aren’t any particularly extreme impressions like sounds swooping in from the sides or overhead. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026 Eventually, as the roar of the war drowned out all other sounds, even writing failed me. — Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026 Despite this draw to hard sounds, her own music was existing largely in the indie pop and R&B lanes. — Katie Bain, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sounds

Verb

Joe Keery is making his Broadway debut in Other Desert Cities this fall, playing a character who at first seems like a smooth Hollywood talker, but ultimately just wants to keep his family together.

— Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
On its face, however, this inspirational message seems in sharp contrast to economic reality.

— Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of seems

Verb

For Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who voices the lead character Prue, alongside actors like Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, and Jacob Tremblay, that experience was quite different.

— Bridget Arsenault, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
Larson headlined the Apple TV+’s Lessons in Chemistry, earning Emmy, SAG, Critics Choice, and Golden Globe nominations, and voices Rosalina in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of voices

Verb

Dodgers veteran infielder Miguel Rojas announces his retirement immediately after the team’s season-ending loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
The award announces that demonizing Jews and the Jewish state can be a spectacularly successful legal career strategy.

— Anne Bayefsky, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of announces

Verb

Ophelia’s Got Talent plumbs the depths of the nineteenth-century cult of Ophelia, epitomized in John Everett Millais’s famous painting of her watery death.

— Caroline Lillian Schopp, Artforum, 13 May 2026
As Latifi plumbs the industry, what stands out is just how manufactured this content is, and how often the children are being manipulated to perform.

— Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 13 May 2026

Definition of plumbs

Verb

Rather than upside-down loops and corkscrews, the two-decade-old coaster focuses on velocity and downhill plunges.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
While firms have no doubt been following the progress of international regulations and the formation of new standards for years now, supply chain visibility positively plunges beyond Tier 1.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of plunges

Noun

Let them — especially the new governor, presumably Xavier Becerra — consider enacting new CEQA reforms, holding months of public hearings and ultimately compromising on a deal.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
The 106-year-old park and course has been the subject of many emergency hearings as the president has sought to renovate it.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of hearings

Verb

The asymmetrical hemline of the sweater is right on trend and makes the whole look feel much more intentional, while the slouchy silhouette still looks polished enough for a coffee run after landing.

— Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2026
How the stadium looks reflects UConn’s potential for playing in the big time.

— Eric Womack, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of looks

Cite this Entry

Style

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

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Synonyms of sounds

verb (1)

verb (2)

noun (1)

noun (2)

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