: a sharp shrill bark or cry (as of a dog or turkey)
also
: squeal
yelped; yelping; yelps
: to utter a sharp quick shrill cry
dogs yelp
: to utter with a yelp
Examples of yelp in a Sentence
Verb
The dog yelped in pain.
yelped with surprise when everything fell off the closet shelf and onto his head
Recent Examples on the Web
ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025
Instead, the yelps and clucks from three calls orchestrated by Dr. H. S. (Buck) Banton had resulted in our facing down a pair of Alabama gobblers in an area that didn’t have a single turkey before 1956.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2025
Laura A. Bischoff, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2025
Male turkeys gobble and strut, puffing out their feathers, to impress hens, who yelp and cluck in response.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yelp
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Noun
Bonobos, great apes related to us and chimpanzees that live in the Republic of Congo, communicate with vocal calls including peeps, hoots, yelps, grunts, and whistles.
—ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025
Instead, the yelps and clucks from three calls orchestrated by Dr. H. S. (Buck) Banton had resulted in our facing down a pair of Alabama gobblers in an area that didn’t have a single turkey before 1956.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
The officer squeezed off three quick shots, hitting the dog and sending it back into the house, yelping.
—Laura A. Bischoff, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2025
Male turkeys gobble and strut, puffing out their feathers, to impress hens, who yelp and cluck in response.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yelp
Cite this Entry
“Yelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yelp. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
yelp
1 of 2 noun
: a sharp quick shrill bark or cry
the yelps of turkeys
yelp
2 of 2 verb
: to utter a yelp or a similar sound
he yelped in pain
heard the dog yelping again
yelper
noun
Etymology
Noun
Middle English yelpen "to boast, cry out," from Old English gielpan "to boast, exult"
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