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
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
Cramming his wide screen with the comings and goings of a 24-character ensemble, Altman creates an incredible, cacophonous entertainment, equal parts comedy and tragedy, featuring terrific original songs and an unforgettable ending.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 18 July 2025
Apart from the occasional timid car—and the less timid, cacophonous crows—the East Nashville community appeared to be following weather warnings and taking advantage of the cozy Friday at home.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
As ovaries decline, hormones change, and a harmonious symphony can turn into a cacophonous noise, impacting the entire body.
—Karina Zaiets, USA Today, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cacophonous
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2025
Cramming his wide screen with the comings and goings of a 24-character ensemble, Altman creates an incredible, cacophonous entertainment, equal parts comedy and tragedy, featuring terrific original songs and an unforgettable ending.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 18 July 2025
Apart from the occasional timid car—and the less timid, cacophonous crows—the East Nashville community appeared to be following weather warnings and taking advantage of the cozy Friday at home.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
As ovaries decline, hormones change, and a harmonious symphony can turn into a cacophonous noise, impacting the entire body.
—Karina Zaiets, USA Today, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cacophonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cacophonous
Adjective
-
Arriving in January, the California Post will be Murdoch’s transplant of his right-leaning tabloid the New York Post, replete with shrill headlines and randy gossip.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
11 Sep. 2025
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One option is to simply double down on the existing approach and become shriller.—
Robert G. Eccles,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The duo moved around notes to create a sound that was dissonant, amplifying the disgusting effect.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
20 Oct. 2025
-
But Roofman, which Cianfrance also co-wrote, was clearly intended to be lighter fare and instead ends up in this dissonant in-between space tonally.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Weber installed bars in multiple disparate locations, and although the bars themselves did display signs of significant amounts of noise, Weber looked for correlations in these noisy signals between bars in different locations.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 Nov. 2025
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With fewer people having children, empathy toward parents—and patience for noisy, curious kids—has waned.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Its natural deodorizing properties help neutralize the unpleasant smells associated with pets, according to Stein.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
1 Nov. 2025
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The 75-year-old ginkgo trees have been wafting the unpleasant smell into the air at the Northern California park, forcing residents to brave the stench that is comparable to vomit, The Sacramento Bee and SFGATE report.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cacophonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cacophonous. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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