1
as in angry
feeling or showing anger some visibly riley people were lined up in the customer service department

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2
as in muddy
having visible particles in liquid suspension take care not to stir up the bottom of the stream when you fill the dipper, or your water will be riley

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for riley
Adjective
  • The angry mob looted the homes of customs agents, harassed those agents’ families, and even burned a small pleasure boat belonging to one unfortunate tax collector on the Common.
    Time, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The way the story goes, Floyd made Captain Ben Winters angry.
    Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • His landscapes are muddy and void, prone to sudden invasion by disturbing strangers, including the giant whale carcass that arrives on a train at the beginning of his 1989 novel, The Melancholy of Resistance.
    Walt Hunter, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Women will appreciate the Keen Women's Targhee 2 Mid-height Waterproof Hiking Boot, currently massively discounted to $91 (originally $155), offering reliable traction on muddy or uneven trails.
    Anne Taylor, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • My real friends know what happened, but Kurt’s fans, Courtney’s fans, and some of my own fans were mad at me.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Maybe, probably, the States were also mad at her.
    Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The timing fits in with recent high-profile demonstrations of new ballistic and hypersonic systems and acknowledged long-range tests, reinforcing that China is progressing in several areas.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Some of the rifle ammunition was tipped for maximum ballistic impact, authorities noted.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Mistaken as the murderer, Mary is stoned and buried alive in a shallow grave by the enraged townspeople.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The defense attorney, Michael Caesar, told jurors that Bragg became enraged after Gladney outed him as a gay man, and sought revenge.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Still, Waits' daughter was indignant.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Colts fans lashed out at the Indianapolis team, as well, and The Cincinnati Enquirer ran an indignant letter to the editor demanding an apology from the Bengals owner for failing to recognize Kirk and pledging to boycott until then.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Robbie and Jayson have a furious battle, but Jayson sticks the fatal knife stab before fleeing.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Wilson was visibly furious, walking up to head coach Aaron Glenn and seemingly speaking his mind after a six-point first half for the Jets.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Exidy fielded letters from outraged people who had never played Death Race but associated video games with violence in popular entertainment.
    Time, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
  • But what has shocked and outraged many is not only the brutality of the crime, but court documents revealing Dickey’s 39 arrests, and 25 felony charges before Logan’s murder.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Riley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riley. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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