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
Essence, 23 Nov. 2022
Harris guest-starred on Seinfeld for 27 episodes as the shrill Estelle Costanza, opposite Jerry Stiller as George’s father, Frank Costanza.
—Vulture, 3 Apr. 2022
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
Will Ripley, CNN Money, 17 July 2025
Obstacles include Lockwood’s shrill, untalented co-star Luna Lamont and clueless movie execs who are unprepared for a creative and technological revolution of movies with soundtracks.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Verb
The shrill, yet welcome, sound of children’s laughter fills the air.
—Essence, 23 Nov. 2022
Harris guest-starred on Seinfeld for 27 episodes as the shrill Estelle Costanza, opposite Jerry Stiller as George’s father, Frank Costanza.
—Vulture, 3 Apr. 2022
Adjective
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
Noun
While democratic Taiwan has long been used to those threats, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the increasingly shrill rhetoric from Chinese leader Xi Jinping and conflict in the Middle East have thrown into sharp relief what could be at stake if peace falters.
—Will Ripley, CNN Money, 17 July 2025
Obstacles include Lockwood’s shrill, untalented co-star Luna Lamont and clueless movie execs who are unprepared for a creative and technological revolution of movies with soundtracks.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrill
Verb
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Suddenly my phone shrieked with a text from the LA fire department.—
Sarah Mlynowski,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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Cut to a young girl shrieking, her face covered in blood.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Melissa, who was napping upstairs, woke up after hearing Stacy's screams and saw Ward on top of her sister.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
24 Sep. 2025
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One person gets swept up in the water while others clamber to the sides of the area as screams are heard in the background.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ziva squealed the tires pulling out.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
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Trains are drowning out the coach’s voice, the wind squeals in my hearing aids.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Once upon a time the screech of the dial-up sound signaled our entry into a new realm in the form of the Internet.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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People chatter, kids laugh, seagulls screech and birds chirp.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
First, the escalator going up to the main speaking floor came to a screeching halt.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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But the Broncos have vacillated all over the map in efficiency on every down the last two weeks, and have seen their offense come to a screeching fourth-quarter halt in close losses because of it.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Listen for the clink of glasses toasting Finland’s most popular cocktail and the squeak of authentic cheese curds atop poutine in Québec in the episodes.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
2 Sep. 2025
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For a while, the only sound in the room was the squeak of a marker on a whiteboard, as Imamura wrote out several potential plot points.—
Matt Alt,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Another wrong impression involves Morrison’s voice, which seems excited and high-pitched.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2025
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The Nashville singer-songwriter waited a full day with the high-pitched, pulsing sound before calling her doctor to check her ears.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Simba, a goldendoodle, and Rafiki, a labradoodle — yelp and bark.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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As the spice levels rise, sweat starts to bead, faces flush, and answers descend into incoherent yelps.—
Diana Hubbell,
Popular Science,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrill. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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