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
This time, the commission’s bargaining position was undercut from the start by a cacophonous chorus, with key member states preemptively voicing their opposition to retaliation.
—
Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
By making the dialogue more cacophonous as the pressure mounts, Ottosson replicates the feelings of the characters, who have trained hundreds of times for various scenarios — but are now experiencing something that goes beyond their typical exercises.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for cacophonous
Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
By making the dialogue more cacophonous as the pressure mounts, Ottosson replicates the feelings of the characters, who have trained hundreds of times for various scenarios — but are now experiencing something that goes beyond their typical exercises.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for cacophonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cacophonous
Adjective
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And each dares to honor the humanity in characters often reduced to predators and prey by one faction, shrill social justice warriors and brave free thinkers by another.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
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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
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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Huang says his team was surprised to find visual cues can actually help people detect sounds in noisy environments like crowded spaces or busy streets.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
17 Mar. 2026
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There are some tantalizing hints, but the data are just too noisy to draw any firm conclusions.—
Tim Folger,
Scientific American,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This unpleasant odor, Smith explained, is the result of something called asparagusic acid, which is unique to the vegetable.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
14 Mar. 2026
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In addition to unpleasant flavors, how your flour smells or looks can indicate spoilage.—
Hannah Lee Leidy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cacophonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cacophonous. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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