1
as in angry
feeling or showing anger
some visibly riley people were lined up in the customer service department
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riley
Adjective
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One unbearable sequence has Chiang coming back angry in the middle of the day and suddenly raping Chuan in their bedroom.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025 -
In late July, centrist independent US Senator Angus King released a startlingly angry statement.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On a recent morning, sweaty workers unloaded cargo boats by hand, carrying crates of beer, sacks of rice, and bags of flour on their shoulders 100 yards up the muddy riverbank to trucks waiting on the wharf.—
John Otis,
NPR,
7 Sep. 2025
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In 1943, when the Mississippi tore away from its banks and charted a fierce and muddy course across America’s central farmlands, Gerard’s grandfather, Harold Gerard, had already fled the waters once.—
Julia Rendleman,
ProPublica,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Can decades of quotidian contentment really hold a candle to the mad blush of first love?—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Poetry walks with me each step of my mad thinking.—
Rickey Laurentiis,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Law enforcement uncovered physical, medical, forensic, ballistic and reenactment evidence that contradicted the McNairy County sheriff's account of his wife's 1967 murder.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Aug. 2025
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Ukraine's air defenses shot down 563 drones, one of the Kinzhal missiles, seven ballistic weapons and 18 cruise missiles, the air force said.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Mistaken as the murderer, Mary is stoned and buried alive in a shallow grave by the enraged townspeople.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
20 Aug. 2025
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An enraged Trump held up the attack as symptomatic of the deteriorating conditions in the capital, vowing to take drastic measures to restore the city to its former glory.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The YouTuber Andrew Callaghan has been documenting off-kilter American politics since before the 2020 election, but the recent interview on his Channel 5 web show with an indignant Hunter Biden caught wide attention.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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But Hunter speaks with the indignant passion of someone who made nearly $1.5 million selling his art during his father’s campaign and the early years of his administration.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Allen leads Bills’ furious comeback After a fast start, the Bills’ offense had extreme difficulty getting things going downfield.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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One of the worst losses from any team this season sparked reactions from furious Dodgers fans on social media.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In March, House Democrats were outraged when Schumer announced his plans to provide a key Democratic vote Republicans needed to advance a spending bill.—
Barbara Sprunt,
NPR,
2 Sep. 2025
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Savannah was outraged on behalf of her parents.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Riley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riley. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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