as in shrill
marked by or producing a harsh combination of sounds
the cacophonous chaos on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange
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Recent Examples of cacophonous
Baltimore deserves credit for stepping up and sending Tullis-Joyce the wrong way, particularly against a cacophonous backdrop of angry United fans behind that goal.
—
Michael Cox, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Episode 2, set at Jamie’s school just a few days after the incident, thrives in the chaos of innumerable moving pieces as kids push through crowded passageways, cram inside cacophonous classrooms, and even parade out to the playground during an unexpected fire drill.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2025
The market’s message and intentions are always worth debating — especially so during an intense pullback, with cacophonous policy headlines and piqued investor emotions animating the action day to day.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2025
But with the emergence of digital media, today's cacophonous environment features billions of podcasts, blogs, streaming channels, and social media influencer accounts that each cater to micro-viewerships with zero editorial oversight or accountability.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cacophonous
Michael Cox, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Episode 2, set at Jamie’s school just a few days after the incident, thrives in the chaos of innumerable moving pieces as kids push through crowded passageways, cram inside cacophonous classrooms, and even parade out to the playground during an unexpected fire drill.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2025
The market’s message and intentions are always worth debating — especially so during an intense pullback, with cacophonous policy headlines and piqued investor emotions animating the action day to day.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2025
But with the emergence of digital media, today's cacophonous environment features billions of podcasts, blogs, streaming channels, and social media influencer accounts that each cater to micro-viewerships with zero editorial oversight or accountability.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cacophonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cacophonous
Adjective
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The warnings start coming in, first shrill alarms from our cellphones alerting us of a tornado warning, and then the stirring call of tornado-warning sirens outside of the windows.—
Colleen Hagerty,
Rolling Stone,
27 July 2025
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The shrill, ominous sound is instantly recognizable, and for anyone who’s experienced the real thing, gut-churning.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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By plunging the viewer into this chaotic inner world, Aster illustrates the dissonant appeal of being enmeshed in the perspective of, and maybe even rooting for, an individual committed to their belief in justice—even if that commitment can border on sordid.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
23 July 2025
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The dissonant hoover synths seethe like Bernard Herrmann strings — echoing the lyrics’ references to Hitchcock’s Psycho, Vertigo, and Rear Window.—
Kristen S. Hé,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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America’s fastest-growing sport is also widely considered to be one of its noisiest, and the constant pops of plastic pickleballs smacking against paddles have proven to be too much to bear for many residents of dwellings close proximity to pickleball courts.—
Nicole R. Kurtz,
Miami Herald,
31 July 2025
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Because when the world gets noisy, leadership gets real.—
Reid Rasner,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Disruptions in the ratio, like when there’s too much estrogen vs. testosterone, can cause unpleasant symptoms like weight gain, mood swings, and fatigue.—
Caitlin Pagán,
Verywell Health,
1 Aug. 2025
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Tribalism can and does spill over into much more unpleasant areas, from basic name-calling to more insidious abuse.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cacophonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cacophonous. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.
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