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
George Caulkin, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Joe’s voice rose to a shrill cry.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
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
In turn, the tone has changed around Newcastle these past few days; less shrill, less edgy, less perilous.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Joe’s voice rose to a shrill cry.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
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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Raph and Grant keep tasting wasabi Oreos, with Raph shrieking and Grant grimacing.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
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The dark cellos of Guðnadóttir chop and grind, and Washington—shrieking, swiping, maddened at the air—flees into the forest, a disappearing uniform.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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That rushing attack was ground to a screeching halt, though, as Pitt came into Morgantown and upset the Mountaineers by the now infamous 13-9 scoreline.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
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All that progress now comes to a screeching halt while Blue Origin investigates the cause of New Glenn's explosion and faces the task of rebuilding LC-36.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Her endless screams and sobs echo back to the agonized wailing of The Mist’s David Drayton, who murdered his child and friends for nothing.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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The episode met with an enthusiastic response from the Taormina audience with squeals of disgust when Aemond seemingly leans into kiss his mother on the lips; as well as cheers, shocked screams and collective gasps as characters fought to the death, sometimes triumphing and sometimes not.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Automatic weapons blasting, tires squealing, the whole bit.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
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There are also, naturally, Easter eggs and appearances from several of the TV show’s recurring characters and deep-cut references and lots of stuff that will make the true heads squeal.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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Female eagles often repeat a solitary soft but high-pitched note.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
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Noise colors can be high-pitched (rapidly vibrating) sounds, low-pitched (slowly vibrating) sounds, or a combination.—
Laura Kiniry,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Native to North America, eastern screech-owls are mostly gray, reddish-brown or brown with yellow eyes, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
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This causes a blast of high-energy radiation called a gamma-ray burst (GRB), a final screech of gravitational waves, and sends out a spray of neutron-rich matter, which allows a process to occur that generates very heavy but unstable elements.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The vocal repertoire consisted of at least seven different squeak types.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
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Others reported a persistent squeak.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Some yelp in pain after stepping barefoot on a peanut or toy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
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Lee's voice has always been Sui generis, a distinctive instrument caught between a whine and a yelp yet immediately recognizable.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrill. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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