as in to shriek
to cry out loudly and emotionally
the mud-splattered bystanders were shrilling with outrage at the inconsiderate motorist
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in shrieking
having a high musical pitch or range
the shrill sound of a policeman's whistle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shrill
Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 9 June 2022
Each of the four movements Thursday traced a giant decrescendo, coming on strong with cacophonous, often shrill music and slowly ebbing away in a dazzling variety of textures and colors, all of them sparse and serene.
—Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 7 Jan. 2022
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
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
Hazlitt, 20 Dec. 2022
The shrill, yet welcome, sound of children’s laughter fills the air.
—Essence, 23 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Verb
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s increasingly shrill brand of Hindu nationalism has inflamed religious animosity within the country.
—Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 9 June 2022
Each of the four movements Thursday traced a giant decrescendo, coming on strong with cacophonous, often shrill music and slowly ebbing away in a dazzling variety of textures and colors, all of them sparse and serene.
—Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 7 Jan. 2022
Adjective
Hot take: Though acclaimed, this movie is basically terrible — a shrill but also lifeless variant of Tracy Letts’s extraordinary play about a dysfunctional family reunited under tragic circumstances.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
There has never been—knock on all wood—a bite, not even when that territorial shih tzu on Fawn Street broke away from its owner and chased us off the block with a shrill, honestly quite aggressive, warning.
—Hazlitt, 20 Dec. 2022
The shrill, yet welcome, sound of children’s laughter fills the air.
—Essence, 23 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrill
Verb
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Normally, scent voices are mere whispers compared to the screams and angry shouts of humans, but in that section, certain sensitive plant species shrieked incessantly because of their proximity to plants that hindered their growth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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This seems to me as offensive to rationality as a saint shrieking into the air.—
Christian Wiman,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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About his screams to the crowd.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
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But there is a primal scream stuck in our collective throat.—
Phil Morris The Minnesota Star Tribune,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dozens of Morton Grove kiddos helped to ring in the New Year about 12 hours before the calendar change, blowing noisemakers and squealing with excitement as balloons were released to celebrate the move into 2026.—
Pioneer Press,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
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Most of the comedy is of the slapstick variety, including set-pieces with a live tarantula, a dead squirrel and a squealing wild hog.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
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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
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As the band blares, Georgia fans bark for the Dawgs and Alabama faithful screech Roll Tide.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Three more months had passed when Patel’s legal battle came to a screeching halt in August as prosecutors entered a motion to dismiss his case, effectively dropping the charges, court records show.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
23 Dec. 2025
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That is, until the cargo vans Hopper is traveling with make a sudden, screeching stop, and Hop goes flying around in the back.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
27 Nov. 2025
Noun
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With Christian Braun out these next few weeks, the Nuggets (10-3) could use every squeak.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
18 Nov. 2025
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Researchers used thermal imaging, ultrasonic microphones, and AI models to parse countless hours of footage and isolate rat squeaks.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Depending on the keyboard and its modifications, their sound can range from high-pitched and hollow to deep and full.—
Henri Robbins,
Wired News,
9 Dec. 2025
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Suddenly, the quiet is broken by a voice, high-pitched and smiling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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They are pinched into a bright, almost surgical nasality or burst loose into grand, sideways arcs, flaring out in a feral yelp.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
21 Dec. 2025
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The growls and snarls of his hounds had turned to yelps and shrieks.—
John McCoy,
Outdoor Life,
12 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrill. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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