bawl
verb (used without object)
to cry or wail lustily.
were bawling
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past progressiveof bawl.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
It was a powerful moment, and all around me even the men were bawling like a bridesmaid at her best friend’s wedding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
He added that after performing in front of the cast they were "bawling their eyes out".
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2025
"I’ve never seen firemen cry, but they were bawling like babies when they brought the children out," Hampton told The Tennessean.
From Fox News ● Jan. 11, 2022
“That Wednesday, patients were bawling in the waiting room,” Davis told me.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 23, 2016
Next thing you knowed, all three of us were bawling on Mrs. Holton’s stoop.
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
