1
as in angry
feeling or showing anger some visibly riley people were lined up in the customer service department

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in muddy
having visible particles in liquid suspension take care not to stir up the bottom of the stream when you fill the dipper, or your water will be riley

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for riley
Adjective
  • Major tennis governing bodies moved to combat online abuse and published last year a report that attributed nearly half of abusive social media posts to angry gamblers.
    Reuters, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
  • Testimony in a Placer County murder trial continued Tuesday with an investigator reciting angry emails over a $1.3 million loan for a fledgling business between a Lake Tahoe-area couple and their former Major League Baseball player son-in-law who is accused of shooting them.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • On my last trip to Crans-Montana, Switzerland, having a bag that could be easily cleaned was crucial after hiking, running, and cycling in the muddy woods.
    Michelle Tchea, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2025
  • My feet sink into the muddy ground, wet soaking through my leather boots and sweat pooling under my arms and behind my knees.
    Erica Stern June 9, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • Fast, not scared to use his front bumper, don't care if somebody gets mad about it and on the verge of becoming a star.
    Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
  • Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Madison would play twin sisters in a story that sees a mad prince take in the noble class into his castle while a plague devastates the peasantry.
    Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2025
Adjective
  • Further, Israel’s previous attacks on Iran in April and October 2024 managed to degrade Iran’s ballistic and surface-to-air missiles and air defense radar systems.
    Javed Ali, The Conversation, 13 June 2025
  • Elliott is a big believer in the importance of ballistic movements like jumping and landing, and also in the power of 3D motion analysis to pick up subtle signs of impending injury.
    Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • Despite the fact that nobody present has any interest in ecclesiastical architecture, the meetings are hot with petty slights, indignant stares, fragile alliances and hostile incursions.
    New York Times, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • The reaction from agency and network veterans was swift and indignant.
    David Folkenflik, NPR, 7 May 2025
Adjective
  • Ripley capped off a furious comeback with a Razor’s Edge toss of Perez onto Giulia, followed by a slam onto a ladder lodged between the first and second ropes.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • Then came the very public split between President Trump and Elon Musk, and a flurry of furious Twitter/X and Truth Social postings, aimed at each other with razor-sharp edges.
    Space.com Staff, Space.com, 7 June 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Riley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riley. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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