neigh 1 of 2

as in to whinny
to make the cry typical of a horse the horses neighed when the rider came into the barn

Synonyms & Similar Words

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neigh

2 of 2

noun

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 neigh
Verb
Across from them in their usual stalls stood the eight neighing horses. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025 The band joked about adding a neighing horse to the intro, and Rimes quickly inserted that sound from his plug-in collection. Tom Roland, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2024 Laughing, always laughing—at the dickey birds hopping in the tree branches, at the urchin who was burned to a crisp by an angry mob, at the slandering neighbor woman who got turned into a neighing donkey. Okwiri Oduor, Harper's Magazine, 15 June 2022 No such juvenilia intrudes upon the rather more adult-ish proceedings of the new film The Wanting Mare, in which horses neigh and stamp at the margins of a bleak, majestic world. Jason Kehe, Wired, 12 Feb. 2021 Horse trailers lined up in rows in Island Grove Regional Park, their passengers neighing indiscriminately. John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 28 July 2019 Goats and sheep staying in the barn bleated, and horses neighed as the crowd of people grew. David Anderson, baltimoresun.com, 23 July 2019 There in the the headquarters of Togo’s secret police — the notorious Research and Intelligence Service — the captives were beaten, waterboarded and forced to kneel and neigh like horses. Siobhan O'Grady, latimes.com, 4 June 2018 Across the barn, another horse was getting new shoes and neighed. Jason Nark, Philly.com, 23 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neigh
Verb
  • The downy woodpecker also whinnies like a miniature horse throughout the breeding season.
    Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
  • That doesn’t include food for the horses, who start whinnying.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024
Verb
  • The soldiers muttered encouragement; their horses nickered.
    Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
  • The soldiers muttered encouragement; their horses nickered.
    Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The crowd, which had already grown hostile to Ernst's tone, erupted in roars of disapproval.
    Alana Wise, NPR, 31 May 2025
  • There’s something magical about a waterfall — the roar of rushing water fueled by snowmelt, the cooling mist, and lush vegetation thriving around it.
    Jennifer Broome, Denver Post, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • Where the trunk narrowed higher in the tree, Flores bolted spikes into the bark to make the final few steps into the structure.
    Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
  • Caring for grass under trees creates another danger: Lawnmowers and string trimmers can easily damage the tree’s bark.
    Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • But their magnum opus was 1978’s Dub Housing, where Thomas shows off his collection of animal noises, grunts, yelps, and screeches, up to his neck in industrial synth-and-guitar factory noise.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
  • His grandson toddled over, climbed into his lap, accepted a kiss with a screech of delight, and scooted off again.
    Ben Ehrenreich, Harpers Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This is true on a city bus, too, where the earbuds easily cut the bus engine noise and the higher-pitch squeals from the doors opening.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 6 May 2025
  • Frontman Bryan Garris let out a mighty pig squeal as guest vocalist Poppy thrashed and screamed across the stage, dressed like an even more macabre girl from The Ring.
    Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Overall, their squeaks were more complex, and the squeaking patterns became more intricate.
    Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
  • As the birds practiced, their initial random squeaks gradually turned into melodies that closely matched their parents’ songs.
    Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This leads us to the crux...or perhaps the clucks...of my story.
    Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
  • Chickens run and cluck around the Bennet home; the family’s clothes look worn, at times even dirty; the houses are cluttered, the people messy, their interactions chaotic.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Neigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neigh. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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