Frank J. Wilstach, comp. A Dictionary of Similes. 1916.

Growl

Growled within himself like a little double-bass.
—Charles Dickens

Growls, roars and breaks itself, like our eternal and powerless despair.
—Alexandre Dumas, père

Growl, like a crescendo in the double bass.
—Samuel Lover

He growls like a bear that has burnt his paw.
—Osmanli Proverb