screeching

adjective

screech·​ing ˈskrē-chiŋ How to pronounce screeching (audio)
: abrupt, sudden
her career came to a screeching halt

Examples of screeching in a Sentence

the screeching blast of the factory whistle hurt my ears
Recent Examples on the Web Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images Billions in trade came to a screeching halt at U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports after members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) began walking off the job after 12:01 a.m. ET on October 1. Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2024 But in the midst of her meteoric rise, Levesque’s commercial success came to a screeching halt when disputes at her label, Blackground Records, forced her into musical limbo for nearly a decade. Erin McMullen, TIME, 13 Sep. 2024 The union called a work stoppage against 10 of the major game developers in July, when more than 18 months of negotiations came to a screeching halt over AI. Katie Campione, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2024 The psychedelic party came to a screeching halt in the early ’70s. Milan Kordestani, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for screeching 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'screeching.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of screeching was in 1904

Dictionary Entries Near screeching

Cite this Entry

“Screeching.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screeching. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

screeching

adjective
screech·​ing ˈskrē-chiŋ How to pronounce screeching (audio)
: sudden sense 1a
her career came to a screeching halt

More from Merriam-Webster on screeching

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!