squawk
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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a loud, harsh cry or sound.
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Informal. a loud, vehement complaint.
-
the black-crowned night heron. night heron
noun
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a loud raucous cry; screech
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informal a loud complaint or protest
verb
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to utter a squawk or with a squawk
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informal (intr) to complain loudly
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has squawkedperfect 3rd person singular
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have squawkedperfect
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is squawkingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are squawkingprogressive
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squawkssingular 3rd person
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have been squawkingperfect progressive
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has been squawkingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am squawkingprogressive 1st person singular
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squawkingparticiple
Past
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had squawkedperfect
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were squawkingprogressive plural
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squawkedsimple
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squawkedparticiple
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was squawkingprogressive singular
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had been squawkingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of squawk
Explanation
To squawk is to make a harsh screech, like the sound that a large bird might make. Your pet parrot might squawk until you give her treats to nibble on. The imitative word squawk first appeared in the 1800s, and around 1945, the term squawk box began to be used informally to mean "intercom or loudspeaker." Today, that term is primarily used by investors and brokers to mean "an intercom used to communicate stock deals." In addition to being the sound of an irritated bird, a squawk is also a complaint: "All he does is squawk about how hard his new job is."
Vocabulary lists containing squawk
Instead of "Said": Words That Sound Like What They Mean
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We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
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Unit 1, Words to Know
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hassett lambasted both the paper and its authors a day later, calling it the “worst paper” he’s ever seen in the history of the Federal Reserve system during an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box.
From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026
Discovery chairman Samuel Di Piazza Jr. says on CNBC’s Squawk Box there is “nothing further from the truth” than claims that Warner is opposed to any agreement with Paramount, no matter the terms.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026
And to kick things off this week, the former president went on CNBC’s Squawk Box and may have defamed Carroll again.
From Slate • Mar. 11, 2024
He co-hosted the network’s morning show, Squawk Box, and thanked the anchors “for letting me do this with you guys.”
From New York Times • Dec. 7, 2022
The fierce-looking old gentleman with the Roman nose is the Squawk; he has a worse disposition, even, than the Popinjay.
From The Garden of the Plynck by Minard, Florence
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
