bleats 1 of 2

noun

plural of bleat
as in whines
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment a very patient, understanding person who accepts life's inconveniences without a bleat

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bleats

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bleat
1
as in complains
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely as far as the slumlord was concerned, the unhappy tenants were just bleating about nothing

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2
as in whimpers
to utter feeble plaintive cries the baby bleated softly as he woke up, then smiled

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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 bleats
Noun
On the southern end of the loop, check out the interactive Bison Center to feel hides, hear the creatures’ varied grunts and bleats, and learn about the park’s efforts to sustainably maintain the herd. — Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 5 Aug. 2026 The real money to be made from the president’s online bleats isn’t in knowing what the US government is going to do. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Late that afternoon, Flint was sitting quietly against his tree and using a Primos can call to make bleats. — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 3 Dec. 2025 Busting out a box of instruments that turned the room into a riot of noise, Sheeran then encourage each student to share their unique sound into the mic, from saxophone bleats to fart sounds. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025 Not all Republicans agreed, but their bleats of complaint hardly suggested a Congress that had finally found the moment to reassert its institutional prerogatives. — Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
Avoiding the protest camp, the livestock were driven through the streets of central Madrid to the sound of bells and bleats. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleats
  1. moans
  2. complains
  3. whimpers
  4. complaints
  5. screams
  6. cries
  7. laments
  8. whines
Noun
  • Lori can hardly speak, relying on a young nurse who sits at her side to translate her low, pained moans.
    — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Wails and moans of grief interspersed the chanting, until the small coffin was lowered into the grave.
    — Victoria Davies, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of moans
Verb
  • Her boyfriend Tom Arnold becomes a writer/producer and complains that someone there stole his love letters and sold out his steamy relationship with Roseanne to the National Enquirer.
    — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Parent complains about the circumstances Lechner sent an email to the athletic director two days later asking whether a transgender student had participated in the game, and whether that student had access to the same locker room as his daughter.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of complains
Verb
  • In the video, my dog Leo whimpers at the sound of whistles.
    — Meg Anderson, NPR, 27 Jan. 2026
Definition of whimpers
Noun
  • In January, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights concluded that the school violated Title IX over athletic participation, facilities and its response to complaints.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The policy update, applicable to all reservations booked on or after November 20, is designed to streamline the Airbnb experience after a slew of customer complaints about unclear house rules and laborious demands by property hosts.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of complaints
Verb
  • Video of the service captures screams erupting inside the church as worshippers ran to his side and called for help.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In Whalefall, Abrams screams and thrashes with the same vulnerability, and a few more inner demons.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of screams
Verb
  • In the other van, Gen cries tears of pride and fulfillment after Aesha and Nathan praise her performance in the last charter.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
  • On the floor, my brother cries into the carpet, pawing at the ground.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of cries
Noun
  • The other main track of Diamanda’s career is her interpretations of old standards, Gospel songs, laments, and folk tunes.
    — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Her laments are now laced with fury, as genocidal wars and murderous technologies join global warming in the twenty-first century’s third decade.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of laments
Verb
  • Andrew whines about the prattling women who’ve infiltrated his home, firmly establishing that all men are, in fact, terrible.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026
  • On the dashboard, radar whines – tilting higher in pitch the faster cars go.
    — Sarah Matusek, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of whines

Browse Nearby Words

bleating
bleats
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Cite this Entry

“Bleats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleats. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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