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.
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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
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.
“The paper is an embarrassment,” Hassett said during an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box External link on Wednesday morning.
From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026
“There will be a hangover from this as we try to put the system back together,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said Monday on CNBC’s Squawk Box.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025
During an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box, McCarthy was asked whether Trump can win an election against Biden.
From Slate • Jun. 28, 2023
"Can he win that election? Yeah he can," McCarthy said during a Tuesday appearance on CNBC's "Squawk Box."
From Salon • Jun. 28, 2023
"I would like you to tell Mrs. Meredith that the Squawk is like all other babies in the world and hear what she has to say!"
From Banked Fires by Savi, E. W. (Ethel Winifred)
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.
