as in shouting
to speak sharply or irritably
the new supervisor found that speaking to people with a civil tongue got better results than barking at them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barking
Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
The following morning, a resident called about a dog barking in a remote canyon roughly a mile from where the canine was reported missing.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
The two then proceed to smell each other a few times, until the sound of another dog barking pulls Lottie away.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
Bulldog or border collie, barking or getting its belly rubbed, a dog can be many things while still remaining a dog.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 7 Jan. 2026
The outlet added that Johnson reportedly made multiple efforts to scare the bear away, including creating a loud makeshift alarm and playing hours of dog-barking sounds through speakers pointed into the vents.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
The next day, his sides were still barking.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.
—Thomas Black, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2025
This not-quite-title song, which is nearly eight minutes long, is a sort of mini-suite, opening with a dog barking, giving way to an acoustic-guitar melody accompanying polyphonic vocals, then becoming electric and crashingly alive, until the relentless screech of a guitar drags you to the end.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
Verb
On Saturday morning, the center received a report of barking from a remote canyon roughly a mile from where Lana was last seen.
—Cite this Entry
“Barking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barking. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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