whinny 1 of 2

as in to neigh
to make the cry typical of a horse the father whinnied and reared as his young daughter pretended to ride him

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whinny

2 of 2

noun

Examples 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 whinny
Verb
That doesn’t include food for the horses, who start whinnying. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024 Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth is one of the oldest proverbs known to humankind, whinnying back at least 1,500 years. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2024 Kenny was large for his age, with a flat, flabby face and a high, whinnying voice. Aryn Kyle, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2024 Some unidentified whinnying joins the cacophony that accompanies gentrification—brash and brazen, with a total disregard for anything other than its own bullish desire. Rebecca Haithcoat, GQ, 5 June 2018 The 10-year-old mare bucked, whinnied, and galloped, sensing the pride of victory. Mitchell Gladstone, Philly.com, 2 June 2018 The forecast was calling for rain the next day, an element as necessary for all this — the flowering plant life, the whinnying animal life — as is the sun. John Kelly, Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2018
Noun
This works, Brian says, and leans back against the wall, the dog panting less, the faint whinny of a horse, an airplane. Paul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024 One of the horses fell on its side, its high whinny like a human scream. Nick Romano, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2022 Laughter punctuates the exaggerated whinnies, proving that the source is not in fact a horse. Kalyn Kahler, SI.com, 11 June 2018 But the methodical, meditative act of grooming a horse — brush, brush, brush — and the smell of hay and the gentle whinnies from the 1,200-pound creature have been therapy for Alger. Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 17 May 2018 An astonishing collection of laughs — whinnies, giggles, squeals, snorts, heaves — gradually colors the narrative, until this seemingly harmless man becomes, in effect, not just a witness to savagery, but also an accessory. Jesse Green, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2018 Animal grunts and growls, horse neighs and whinnies. Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Apr. 2018 More important, the track is where Charley meets a pretty quarter horse named Lean on Pete, whose velvety brown coat and barely audible whinnies become a balm for the lonely teenager. Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2018 Cloris Leachman was Frau Blücher, the sound of whose name caused horses to whinny in fear. Daniel Lewis, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whinny
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
Noun
  • The jungle struck up its evening symphony: the sweet chittering of insects, the distant bellowing of monkeys, the occasional screech of a kite.
    Charlie Cordero, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
  • But as the race against former President Trump screeches into its final week, joy has taken the back seat.
    David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • The soldiers muttered encouragement; their horses nickered.
    Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied.
    James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2024
Noun
  • Barrymore squeals in disgust after reaching into her pocket and pulling out a sandwich.
    Shyla Watson, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
  • At the corner of St. Peter and Royal Streets, a tuba begins its rumbling and a trombone squeals; the instruments sparkle in the sunlight, glinting gold amid a gathering crowd.
    Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Every night the lamb would cry, and be told to hush, for its bleats disturbed their sleep.
    Karen Zautyk, New York Daily News, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Nor is there evidence, much as Trump’s supporters bleat otherwise, that Biden or DOJ influenced the Georgia racketeering charges or the Manhattan case, which was under investigation before either the president or District Attorney Alvin Bragg were elected.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2024
Noun
  • There’s no dialogue, at least none decipherable to human ears — everything is a symphony of meows, woofs, squawks, grunts, squeaks, squeals and simian cries.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Flocks of sparrows and parrots chirp and squawk in the palms overhead.
    Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 9 June 2024
Noun
  • The rocket booster revved up the 33 engines at its base, sending a loud roar across Starbase, the SpaceX launch site near Brownsville, Texas.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025
  • From the Miami Herald’s archives, here is Michael Crook’s report from March 1989 in Tropic magazine: Donald Trump in Palm Beach: Hitting a roar nerve First published March 19, 1989 The sun has disappeared beyond the middle-class condos of West Palm Beach and the western sky is painted tangerine.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Don’t be that guy who runs the same series of seven yelps all morning long.
    Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 1 May 2024
  • And the merry-go-round of yelps and vocal chops at its core gleam like Christmas morning.
    Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 5 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Whinny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whinny. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.

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