shriek 1 of 2

verb

ˈshrēk How to pronounce shriek (audio)
Definition of shrieknext
as in to scream
to cry out loudly and emotionally the children shrieked with excitement

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shriek

2 of 2

noun

as in scream

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 shriek
Verb
Fans shrieked and hollered as every player in the realmwide war — Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), Prince Daemon (Matt Smith), the Sea Snake (Steve Toussaint) and his nemesis Lohar (Abigail Thorn) — popped up. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 June 2026 Now, if there was just some way to go back and re-edit a supercut without Kate Capshaw's squealing and shrieking. — Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026
Noun
Euphoric shrieks filled the Harbor of the East River as soon as the Knicks clinched. — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 14 June 2026 Harris spares audiences the bloody image, but the sound of the boy’s imploring shrieks is nevertheless haunting. — Lovia Gyarkye, IndieWire, 16 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for shriek
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shriek
  1. scream
  2. screech
  3. squeal
  4. shrill
  5. yell
  6. squeak
  7. yelp
Verb
  • This exchange turns into Luann fully spiraling out, screaming about Porsha being two hours late to anybody who would listen.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In the locker room hallway, through the swinging doors behind The Swamp’s press room, voices screamed in.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of scream
Noun
  • The screech of guitar feedback echoed from a makeshift stage outside, where a punk-rock band had just launched into their set, a fitting accompaniment to the bar’s kaleidoscopic selection of beer.
    — Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • La Vierge de Fer contrasts the delicate fruit and a lily note with the screech of cold metal, sparkling aldehydes, and lilting sandalwood.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of screech
Verb
  • As soon as Sheeran took the stage, fans inside the stadium squealed and shouted with excitement.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Each of its elements began, long ago, in the loamy earth, hatching and creeping or slipping, slick and squealing, from the womb of the mind.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of squeal
Noun
  • No stomping rhythms here, no shrill blasts in unison, no sweaty masculinity souring the air, no red faces.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Conversely, the drum tones fluctuate between sloshy and shrill, either contributing to the chaos or cutting through like a fire alarm.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026
Definition of shrill
Verb
  • The sets have too many doors, the scenes have a delirious number of extras and the actors yell their lines over the distracting clatter of crackling fireplaces, beeping machines and ticking clocks.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Things escalate as the two share a car ride home from a fancy gala and the bad man yells at her for embarrassing him.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of yell
Noun
  • Nestled deep among the wads of shredded paper and other bric-a-brac, the occupants made not a squeak, concealed to anyone who looked through the carrier’s door.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The mice used some of the squeaks within their nests and others on the fringes of their territory.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Definition of squeak
Noun
  • But the band’s sonic palette has gradually expanded to include synths, horns, and strings, with McCaughan’s lyrics getting more personal as well as more pointedly political over time even as his voice remains an eternally youthful yelp.
    — Charles Moss, SPIN, 30 Sep. 2026
  • However, the chances of hearing a yelp from below are highly unlikely due to planes’ thick insulation and engine noise.
    — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of yelp

Browse Nearby Words

shrews
shriek
shrieked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shriek.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shriek. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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