sounds in

Sounds in refers to an underlying legal basis or cause of action in a lawsuit. For example, a tort claim sounds in tort, and a contract claim sounds in contract. 

In re Equifax, Inc., 371 F. Supp. 3d 1150 - Dist. Court, ND Georgia 2019 shows the use of the phrase “sounds in,” in the context of a fraud claim. The case explains that “a claim ‘sounds in fraud,’ and thus, is subject to the heightened pleading standard for fraud or mistake, when a plaintiff alleges a unified course of fraudulent conduct and relies entirely on that course of conduct as the basis of that claim.”

Similarly, Camerano v. U.S., 196 F. Supp. 3d 172 - Dist. Court, D. Massachusetts 2016 explains that “a claim for breach of contract ‘sounds in tort,’ when the breach relates to obligations that arise from tort law and not a contractual agreement.”

[Last reviewed in April of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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