screeching 1 of 2

adjective

ˈskrē-chiŋ How to pronounce screeching (audio)
Definition of screechingnext
as in shrill
having a high musical pitch or range the screeching blast of the factory whistle hurt my ears

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

screeching

2 of 2

verb

present participle of screech
as in shrieking
to cry out loudly and emotionally the toddler screeched in anger when her stuffed rabbit was taken away

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of screeching
Adjective
The American Eagle took its first paying customers for a screeching fun ride. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026 Boyd’s good works come to a screeching halt when she and her group are surrounded and captured by Palmer and his little cohort, including Boyd’s former partner, Fred Stanislaus. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 22 May 2026
Verb
Its appearance may belie the truth, but this is not the demonic, screeching spider chasing people down that freaked you out in the movie Arachnophobia. — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 29 May 2026 Some see the birds as beautiful new neighbors; others see screeching chaos with feathers. — Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for screeching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screeching
  1. shrill
  2. shrieking
  3. screaming
  4. squealing
  5. yelling
Adjective
  • On shrill winter nights, Moscow’s power is conspicuous, its Orthodox cathedrals and Stalinist high-rises illuminated, though the view falls dim in the autumn and spring, shrouded in sheets of greige.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The chaos is still an acceptable price to pay for Birney’s expertly offputting performance, a shrill mania that gets increasingly comic over time.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of shrill
Verb
  • Kids are shrieking through their favorite splash pads, faces sticky with Bomb Pop juice and joy.
    — Mark Glende, Twin Cities, 2 July 2026
  • Raph and Grant keep tasting wasabi Oreos, with Raph shrieking and Grant grimacing.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 16 June 2026
Definition of shrieking
Verb
  • From the outset of the selloff earlier this year, Jim Cramer was screaming from the rooftops that cyber should never have been lumped into run-of-the-mill enterprise software.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 7 July 2026
  • There were no vendors hawking bootleg royal-wedding merch, no screaming lines of fans, not even that many impromptu sing-alongs (some were solicited by journalists looking for content).
    — Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 6 July 2026
Definition of screaming
Verb
  • In the clip, Niney is pictured talking calmly on his cell phone as Gasly races around him in the Alpine car, squealing the tires.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 29 June 2026
  • Pigs that were being hauled by the semi could be heard squealing at the scene.
    — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 23 June 2026
Definition of squealing
Verb
  • In the 57-second video, which could not be independently verified by PEOPLE, Mason walks away multiple times before turning back to continue yelling back and forth with Donalds.
    — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
  • During the Cape Verde–versus-Argentina game, the YouTuber and Twitch streamer recorded a woman yelling racial slurs at him during the game.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 7 July 2026
Definition of yelling

Browse Nearby Words

screeches
screeching
screen
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Cite this Entry

“Screeching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screeching. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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