1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
as far as the slumlord was concerned, the unhappy tenants were just bleating about nothing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in whimpering
to utter feeble plaintive cries
the baby bleated softly as he woke up, then smiled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bleating
And when her furry black-and-white friend follows her — bleating at her heels, eager for more affection — Kusimayu keeps walking.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Dec. 2025
But working with Stockholm Drain Gang veteran Bladee on the remix turns the song into a hyper-pop boss fight, with frenetic and bleating synths piling on the duo’s vocals.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The goat did a lot of bleating, baa-baa, and Malika joined in for the chorus.
—Joan Silber, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
The right is being horrifyingly plain in bleating their bigotry, but they’re also lost in linguistic obscurities.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleating
Verb
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But the same town also was sued in November by Stillson LLC, a company complaining because zoners approved an 8-30g project.—
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From bartenders in Virginia-Highland to servers in Alpharetta, several employees of food and drink businesses reported customers complaining about water that tastes like mildew.—
Verb
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In a large tent, veterinarians and volunteers work together to place an IV into the leg of a small, whimpering puppy.—
Verb
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According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched in November to a residence in the Linville community of Marion after a caller reported a neighbor standing in their driveway screaming and refusing to leave the property despite having been warned previously.—
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Avid viewers of The Studio will appreciate the callback to a watershed episode this season when Ice Cube, as himself, uttered the same to a room filled with screaming fans, causing a fresh headache for Seth Rogen’s backlot boss Matt Remick.—
Verb
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The man sat in the driver's seat, while the woman sat in the passenger seat, their crying child in the man’s arms.—
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At one point during the hearing, Richards pleaded for a tissue and began crying while recalling a particularly abusive event in May.—
Verb
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Illinois Republicans have turned whining into an artform.—
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First came Notre Dame whining over missing out on a College Football Playoff invite.—
Verb
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While lying on the pavement, he could be heard moaning as an officer shouted at him not to move.—
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There’s something moaning in the background.—
Verb
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The camera then turns to James Austin Johnson, who played the president, sleeping and muttering New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s name.—
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On the plane, Dick clutches the slingshot and begins sweating and muttering to himself before becoming unresponsive.—
Cite this Entry
“Bleating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleating. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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