as in to shriek
to cry out loudly and emotionally
the toddler screeched in anger when her stuffed rabbit was taken away
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of screech
Tribune News Service, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
Somewhere along this conversation, Meredith says that Heather has been screeching at her for two months, which makes Heather completely blow up, telling her that their friendship is over.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2026
Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
That frenetic screech of packing tape echoing in your emptying home may send your blood pressure soaring.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screech
Verb
By Jason Mackey Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PALM BEACH GARDENS — The pop of a catcher’s mitt mixed with saws screeching and hammers pounding provides an appropriate soundtrack inside Paul Skenes’ offseason workout facility, a baseball-lover’s paradise and an encapsulation of his unique personality.
—Tribune News Service, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026
Somewhere along this conversation, Meredith says that Heather has been screeching at her for two months, which makes Heather completely blow up, telling her that their friendship is over.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
This not-quite-title song, which is nearly eight minutes long, is a sort of mini-suite, opening with a dog barking, giving way to an acoustic-guitar melody accompanying polyphonic vocals, then becoming electric and crashingly alive, until the relentless screech of a guitar drags you to the end.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
That frenetic screech of packing tape echoing in your emptying home may send your blood pressure soaring.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screech
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screech
Verb
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The cheerleaders shriek and clap loudly as the women of Sunrise run to center stage, ready to shine.—
Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2026
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His shrieking reactions to his wife’s savagery throw into relief his good nature and her perversity.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The whinny is an unusual combination of both high and low-pitched sounds — like a cross between a grunt and a squeal — that come out at the same time.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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More squeals of support, and demands to see a picture.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
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Nothing screams elegance quite like a french bob.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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He was missed — especially vocally — since Gill’s angelic voice does not, in any way shape or form, resemble Walsh’s charmingly out-of-pitch squawk-talk style.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
25 Jan. 2026
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Toy keyboard plinks and saxophone squawks spiral over a booming racket of drums in the ether, slyly threatening to collapse, like an elaborate plate-spinning act.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Beneath them, water tore through a broken pipe, its current grinding out a low roar — and suddenly, Borsutzki and Kurban’s drive home from practice no longer felt routine.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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The jet engine roar has been almost nonstop ever since, much to the frustration and insomnia of Gossett and his neighbors.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For example, one additional experiment found that changing the thickness of the rubber could make the squeak sound lower or higher in pitch.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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But some of the insights from the study could help to design squeak-free shoes in the future.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Stephanie says, between a bark and a chirp.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
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Participants will be trained to learn the chirps and croaks of various local frog and toad species, then commit to going out to a particular piece of the watershed near their homes a couple of nights per month to listen for the frogs and toads and record their absence or presence.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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At the time, the two girls were seen as rivals, with Debbie’s theatrical voice vs. Tiffany’s countrified yowl.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
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Squeeze the throttle pedal firmly to the carpet and the engine room answers with more forward thrust, the 9-speed kicking down several gears nearly instantly, and the car rushing onward with accompaniment of a classic but subtle straight six yowl.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screech.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screech. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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