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
Nestled among the tourist-heavy streets of Soho in the heart of London — far from the bright city lights and cacophonous traffic — is a man in a dark, quiet room.
—
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
Fried and the cacophonous home crowd in his proverbial corner, were a lethal combination for the Yankees in the first six innings.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 1 Oct. 2025
Bowling at run-hungry batters on largely unforgiving pitches in vast, cacophonous stadiums with huge outfields in front of a partisan and at times baying crowd — plenty of English bowlers have found bowling in Australia akin to a Sisyphean task.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Mistakes do abound on Getting Killed, from cacophonous guitar skronks to stumble-drunk hi-hat taps that completely throw off a song’s rhythm.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cacophonous
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
Fried and the cacophonous home crowd in his proverbial corner, were a lethal combination for the Yankees in the first six innings.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 1 Oct. 2025
Bowling at run-hungry batters on largely unforgiving pitches in vast, cacophonous stadiums with huge outfields in front of a partisan and at times baying crowd — plenty of English bowlers have found bowling in Australia akin to a Sisyphean task.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Mistakes do abound on Getting Killed, from cacophonous guitar skronks to stumble-drunk hi-hat taps that completely throw off a song’s rhythm.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cacophonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cacophonous
Adjective
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In turn, the tone has changed around Newcastle these past few days; less shrill, less edgy, less perilous.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Joe’s voice rose to a shrill cry.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The contrast of the narrative established by the plates is comparable to jazz music, with its rhythm and repetition broken up by unexpected and sometimes dissonant improvisations, the Art Institute said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
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That film, which starred Stanfield alongside Tessa Thompson, established Riley as a filmmaker unafraid to blend satire with surreal, often dissonant ideas.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The blue light from a phone, too-hot temperatures, too-cold temperatures—even a noisy fan can keep you awake.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Feb. 2026
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Video shows noisy newborn bears Several social media users commented on the noise level coming from the tiny newborn bears.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Besides preventing mold and mildew, cleaning will also taper unpleasant odors and prevent cracking and crumbling of your seal.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
21 Feb. 2026
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By washing white rice, the excess starch is washed off, as well as any oxidized rice bran oil coating the outside, which can add an unpleasant flavor to the cooked rice.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cacophonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cacophonous. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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