as in to shriek
to cry out loudly and emotionally
the mud-splattered bystanders were shrilling with outrage at the inconsiderate motorist
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in shrieking
having a high musical pitch or range
the shrill sound of a policeman's whistle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shrill
Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2022
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s increasingly shrill brand of Hindu nationalism has inflamed religious animosity within the country.
—Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 9 June 2022
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 27 Nov. 2024
What about the shrill speculations that nefarious Trumpian arm-twisting was involved which pressured Netanyahu to comply?
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Essence, 23 Nov. 2022
The sudden shrill is as jarring as the sound of breaking glass and does equal damage to the video call’s momentum.
—Stacey Hanke, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Verb
This device is very loud and shrill when operating.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2022
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s increasingly shrill brand of Hindu nationalism has inflamed religious animosity within the country.
—Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 9 June 2022
Adjective
Crucially, there’s very little reason to care about how Simon and Claire will take the break-ups, when both are such unbearably shrill stereotypes.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 27 Nov. 2024
What about the shrill speculations that nefarious Trumpian arm-twisting was involved which pressured Netanyahu to comply?
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
The shrill, yet welcome, sound of children’s laughter fills the air.
—Essence, 23 Nov. 2022
The sudden shrill is as jarring as the sound of breaking glass and does equal damage to the video call’s momentum.
—Stacey Hanke, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrill
Verb
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Of course, the idea of hauling your stroller into a cramped cafe or dealing with a shrieking baby at a girls’ lunch can be daunting for new parents.—
Carolyn L. Todd,
SELF,
28 Feb. 2025
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Regardless, prominent Democrats scoffed at the review, shrieked with outrage, and dubiously claimed that taxpayers’ personal information could be compromised in the process.—
James Carter,
National Review,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The team of cosmic homicide detectives determined a strange X-ray signal is the dying scream of a planet destroyed by a superdense stellar corpse called a white dwarf.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2025
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The audience went wild before Cruise hit the stage, filling Harpo Studios in Chicago with deafening screams, applause and even some tears.—
Chris Gardner,
The Hollywood Reporter,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Yet kids seem pretty delighted overall in their hybrid squealing/giggling way.—
Dewayne Bevil,
Orlando Sentinel,
19 Feb. 2025
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Pip squealed and clapped her hands, and Flora squeezed Pip’s arm, laughing with relief.—
Sheila Heti,
The New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The jungle struck up its evening symphony: the sweet chittering of insects, the distant bellowing of monkeys, the occasional screech of a kite.—
Charlie Cordero,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2025
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But as the race against former President Trump screeches into its final week, joy has taken the back seat.—
David Lauter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Board the train and destroy its turrets to bring it to a screeching halt, then blow open the vault car with Thermite and you'll be rewarded handsomely.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
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Most notably, the tournament’s championship game between Charles Barkley’s team and Shaquille O’Neal’s came to a screeching halt after five minutes of play.—
Bennett Durando,
The Denver Post,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And if that’s not strange enough, this tiny creature barks, squeaks and even screams when threatened.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
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Mice typically produce pulses of ultrasonic squeaks that resemble syllables in human language.—
Carl Zimmer,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For example, pain cries are often loud, high-pitched and harsh to grab the attention of listeners and elicit aid.—
Katarzyna Pisanski,
Scientific American,
21 Feb. 2025
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These frogs live along fast-flowing streams in mountainous areas of Madagascar, and with such loud background noise, their calls may be especially high-pitched to be heard by other frogs over the sound of the water, according to Scherz.—
Olivia Ferrari,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The yelps and shrieks of Drive seemed smothered as though his mouth was full of fur.—
Frank C. Hibben,
Outdoor Life,
13 Feb. 2025
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Most people know what a yelp sounds like, but probably not all the subtlety within a series of yelps.—
Scott Einsmann,
Outdoor Life,
12 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrill. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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