as in screams
someone or something that is very funny
she's such a riot at parties
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Recent Examples of riots
The riots ended after over 3,500 national troops cleared the streets.
—
USA Today, 2 June 2026
Johnson also was a key figure in the Stonewall Inn riots.
—Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
Bradley’s popularity plummeted after Black motorist Rodney King was brutally beaten by LAPD officers in 1991 and riots erupted across the city the next year when a largely white jury acquitted the officers.
—National Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
June is Pride Month, when LGBTQ+ communities traditionally commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, a pivotal moment in gay and lesbian history.
—Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 29 May 2026
Just last year, after the Philadelphia Eagles won the National Football Conference (NFC) championship game, riots led to more than 30 arrests, including several for assault on police officers, and one teenager died after falling from a pole.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 27 May 2026
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey received pushback Monday over a social media post remembering George Floyd, whose Memorial Day death six years ago triggered nationwide protests and riots, as well as calls to defund law enforcement agencies.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Governor Sherrill's visit to Delaney Hall is nothing more than a political stunt on Memorial Day when visitation is currently suspended due to riots outside the facility.
—Nick Caloway, CBS News, 26 May 2026
The day after this photo was taken, a Hindu-nationalist mob destroyed the Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque, leading to a nationwide wave of riots that resulted in the murder of thousands of Indians, Muslim and Hindu.
—Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
USA Today, 2 June 2026
Johnson also was a key figure in the Stonewall Inn riots.
—Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
Bradley’s popularity plummeted after Black motorist Rodney King was brutally beaten by LAPD officers in 1991 and riots erupted across the city the next year when a largely white jury acquitted the officers.
—National Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
June is Pride Month, when LGBTQ+ communities traditionally commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, a pivotal moment in gay and lesbian history.
—Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 29 May 2026
Just last year, after the Philadelphia Eagles won the National Football Conference (NFC) championship game, riots led to more than 30 arrests, including several for assault on police officers, and one teenager died after falling from a pole.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 27 May 2026
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey received pushback Monday over a social media post remembering George Floyd, whose Memorial Day death six years ago triggered nationwide protests and riots, as well as calls to defund law enforcement agencies.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Governor Sherrill's visit to Delaney Hall is nothing more than a political stunt on Memorial Day when visitation is currently suspended due to riots outside the facility.
—Nick Caloway, CBS News, 26 May 2026
The day after this photo was taken, a Hindu-nationalist mob destroyed the Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque, leading to a nationwide wave of riots that resulted in the murder of thousands of Indians, Muslim and Hindu.
—Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riots
Noun
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Once seated, the crowd roared each time a member of the cast walked in, with the biggest screams by far going not to Anderson or co-star Assad Zaman but Eric Bogosian, who at 73 plays the youngest vampire of the season, Daniel Molloy.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
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Literature, in his view, was a susurrus of stifled screams, a missive from the netherworld of the collective imaginary.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Their hoots and hollers drowned Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s explanation of how a title defense fell short.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
Wiseman said to hoots from the crowd of media gathered at the site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There are some laughs that are pretty regular, consistent.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
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For Marlon Wayans, comedy isn’t simply about the laughs.—
Datwon Thomas,
VIBE.com,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riots. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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