as in shrill
having a high musical pitch or range
the screeching blast of the factory whistle hurt my ears
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2025
His five-year tenure came to a screeching halt after the designer did not appear at the end of the fall 2011 show.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The momentum came screeching to a halt during a midseason game against the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screeching
Adjective
Top picks San Diego’s busy summer season may be winding down, but that hardly means the region’s artistic and cultural machines come to a screeching halt.
—Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2025
His five-year tenure came to a screeching halt after the designer did not appear at the end of the fall 2011 show.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
The band’s signature battering riffs and Lindberg’s screeching vocals have become synonymous with the extreme metal genre.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The momentum came screeching to a halt during a midseason game against the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screeching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screeching
Adjective
-
Arriving in January, the California Post will be Murdoch’s transplant of his right-leaning tabloid the New York Post, replete with shrill headlines and randy gossip.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
11 Sep. 2025
-
One option is to simply double down on the existing approach and become shriller.—
Robert G. Eccles,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Screaming and shrieking, the drama between the bridesmaids is thick.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
10 Oct. 2025
-
As Linda literally fights with the rodent in the car (with her shrieking daughter in the backseat), it gets flung out the window and becomes roadkill.—
Rachel Brodsky,
Rolling Stone,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Video captured officers screaming at him to drop the knife, followed by several gunshots from police.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
23 Oct. 2025
-
His new visions are shattered by an explosion of light and color as, beneath his fist, the green light blazes, the kyber crystal of the Jedi screaming in corruption and cowardice, in fear and loathing—the lies of the Jedi revealed at last.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
One of the first major highlights showed the moment Mei Xiang birthed a squealing Xiao Qi Ji and cradled her newborn cub.—
Sudiksha Kochi,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screeching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screeching. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share