as in excitable
easily excited by nature
a dog that tends to be high-strung is not the best pet for young children
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Recent Examples of high-strung
But in April 2026, celebrity stylist Leslie Fremar came forward as the inspiration for the high-strung senior assistant played by Emily Blunt in the 2006 movie.
—
Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Played with blistering sarcasm by Emily Blunt, the high-strung Runway magazine assistant had many of the most crackling one-liners in the original 2006 film.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
In episode three, that perfect fit is Benito Skinner, who plays a high-strung costume designer named Carter who wears Valerie down with a visual and spiritual assault on caftans on the set of her new sitcom.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2026
The same is true of Sonny and Sal, his high-strung henchman.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
The scheme shocks their high-strung son Harold (Roberts), whose wife, Neha (Gill), is a local police officer.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2026
The combination of the car weighing less than 1,750 pounds, its slippery shape, and its high-strung engine, allows the 202 to nudge 105 mph.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2026
In each of these roles, O’Hara grounded these high-strung personas while deftly winking at the audience and letting them in on the joke, particularly in the films’ mock-interview segments.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Carlton Preppy, high-strung, ambitious, sweater vest-wearing, Tom Jones-loving cousin to the Fresh Prince.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 Jan. 2026
Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
Played with blistering sarcasm by Emily Blunt, the high-strung Runway magazine assistant had many of the most crackling one-liners in the original 2006 film.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
In episode three, that perfect fit is Benito Skinner, who plays a high-strung costume designer named Carter who wears Valerie down with a visual and spiritual assault on caftans on the set of her new sitcom.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2026
The same is true of Sonny and Sal, his high-strung henchman.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
The scheme shocks their high-strung son Harold (Roberts), whose wife, Neha (Gill), is a local police officer.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2026
The combination of the car weighing less than 1,750 pounds, its slippery shape, and its high-strung engine, allows the 202 to nudge 105 mph.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2026
In each of these roles, O’Hara grounded these high-strung personas while deftly winking at the audience and letting them in on the joke, particularly in the films’ mock-interview segments.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Carlton Preppy, high-strung, ambitious, sweater vest-wearing, Tom Jones-loving cousin to the Fresh Prince.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-strung
Adjective
-
Myhrvold, now 66 and still the CEO of Intellectual Ventures, is jolly and excitable in conversation.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
-
An unexpected collaboration opportunity is very possible under today’s trine between excitable Mars and erratic Uranus.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Spinella shucks off sentimentality, always showing us Con’s offhand humor and sometimes nervous, defensive rambling.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
-
Companies start to get nervous when the percentage of shareholders blessing their pay plans dips well below the average, which is slightly above 90%, said Elizabeth Bieber, partner at the law firm Freshfields who leads shareholder engagement.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“High-strung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-strung. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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