as in to cry
to shed tears often while making meaningless sounds as a sign of pain or distress
the child sobbed when she found the dead frog
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in tears
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 sob
Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
Jackson’s sister, who was in the courtroom, sobbed as Jackson’s attorneys spoke to her.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Not that Warren’s show is one big sob fest.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sob
Verb
Shortly after, his mother, whose face was blurred out and whose name was not disclosed in live coverage of the trial aired by NBCDFW, began sobbing.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
Jackson’s sister, who was in the courtroom, sobbed as Jackson’s attorneys spoke to her.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
Every day, the women and girls around her sob in traumatic memory of what happened to them.
—Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Not that Warren’s show is one big sob fest.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sob
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sob
Verb
-
In a feat of sorcery that should have other sandwich makers crying in their beer, the ciabatta roll here is tender and comparatively thin.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Margo, meanwhile, is freaking out, crying and hyperventilating.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
McEntire, Stefani and Legend were brought to tears by Carter's emotional performance.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Tatum also knows the value of peer support after leaning on players like Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Dejounte Murray — all of whom suffered Achilles tears last season — during his recovery.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then the speakers’ exhortations to excellence would build in emotional intensity until women began to weep and the meeting erupted in spontaneous pledges to set new personal bests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The moment his name was called, McDonald began to weep.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
All these moments are good for audience groans and there’s an enjoyable bad movie here for the seizing — that is when Cronin isn’t steering the action back to Egypt for an underpowered mystery thread involving a one-dimensional Cairo detective (May Calamawy) pursuing the root of the trouble.—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The proper response to this is a cynical groan.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sob. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
