Thesaurus results for SHREW

shrew

noun

ˈshrü

Definition of shrew

as in harridan

a bad-tempered scolding woman Rip Van Winkle went off into the mountains to escape his wife, a shrew who made his life miserable

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 shrew Rats, cats, tree squirrels, manatees, harbor seals, sea otters, pole cats, shrews, tammar wallabies, sea lions, and naked mole-rats all share strikingly similar basic whisker anatomies, according to various prior studies. — ArsTechnica, 12 Feb. 2026 Especially early on in the campaign, when I was being attacked as being angry, a shrew, demeaning my husband — all these labels were coming in on me that were essentially trying to rob me of that femininity. — Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025 The 2025 list of extinctions includes a bird, a shrew and a species of snail, among others. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025 The shrew is one of these mammals, according to the study. — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shrew

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrew

Noun

Into this vacuum, a misogynistic sense of her as a harridan or a drug-using flake emerged.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026
Given its plotting, Brooks’s movie could easily have made Iris into a harridan and Isaac into a sociopathic rogue.

— Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2025

Definition of harridan

Noun

But where the original video vixen era prioritized physical spectacle and often reduced its subjects to aesthetic objects, this new wave is about intentional community-building.

— Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Robin Hood was portrayed as a fox, Little John was depicted as a bear, Friar Tuck as a badger, Prince John as a lion, the sheriff of Nottingham as a wolf and Maid Marian as a vixen.

— Angelique Jackson, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026

Definition of vixen

Noun

Like most eagles, the aviary says the female harpy is significantly larger than the male — sometimes twice the size.

— Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 28 May 2026
And because harpies rely on large emergent trees for nesting and an extensive, continuous canopy for hunting, even partial deforestation will severely disrupt their ability to breed and forage.

— Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026

Definition of harpy

Noun

While Rodriguez and other supporters have pushed to preserve the unit, critics of expanding Sheriff’s Office funding argue that the county should instead invest in social and community services.

— Reeti Malhotra July 13, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
That provision is a major objection for Board of Supervisors President David Haubert, the bill’s most publicly vocal critic.

— Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 13 July 2026

Definition of critic

Noun

Skin is important here, not just its color but its texture as Josephine, for example, goes from elegant sophisticate to sweaty, sunburned, frizzy virago increasingly swollen with pregnancy and angry mosquito bites.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 25 Aug. 2023
Meredith is a stereotypical virago updated with modern libertarian notions.

— Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2023

Definition of virago

Noun

Ultimately, the reassurances about community resources and air quality failed to quell the fury inside the room as residents took the microphone during the Q&A section and repeatedly expressed feelings of betrayal and mistrust.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Richards channeled his jealousy into an elemental fury of a song.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 July 2026

Definition of fury

Browse Nearby Words

shreds

shrew

shrewd

See all Nearby Words

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Style

“Shrew.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrew. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of shrew

noun

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