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
Essence, 23 Nov. 2022
Harris guest-starred on Seinfeld for 27 episodes as the shrill Estelle Costanza, opposite Jerry Stiller as George’s father, Frank Costanza.
—Vulture, 3 Apr. 2022
Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2022
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
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2025
With their large wheels and shrill whistles, trains can look like intimidating vehicles.
—Marilyn La Jeunesse, Parents, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Verb
The shrill, yet welcome, sound of children’s laughter fills the air.
—Essence, 23 Nov. 2022
Harris guest-starred on Seinfeld for 27 episodes as the shrill Estelle Costanza, opposite Jerry Stiller as George’s father, Frank Costanza.
—Vulture, 3 Apr. 2022
Adjective
This device is very loud and shrill when operating.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2022
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
Noun
Obstacles include Lockwood’s shrill, untalented co-star Luna Lamont and clueless movie execs who are unprepared for a creative and technological revolution of movies with soundtracks.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2025
With their large wheels and shrill whistles, trains can look like intimidating vehicles.
—Marilyn La Jeunesse, Parents, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrill
Verb
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For subscribers, that makes now the perfect time to catch up on the horror film that had audiences shrieking, laughing and running to Reddit to compare notes.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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But Shea is still the ultimate image of fan hysteria — a massive swarm of Beatlemaniacs gathered together for a night of communal rapture, bonded in music, shrieking their lungs and brains out.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Cool Game-Day Uniforms Football matches and homecoming scream fall, and who better than Taylor Swift to prove that dressing up for game-day can be as easy as cheering on your friends from the the stands.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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The episode recontextualizes the Gorn’s terrifying scream.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Trains are drowning out the coach’s voice, the wind squeals in my hearing aids.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
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After months of gaining a foster dog's trust, one woman squealed with excitement when the canine finally showed her first sign of accepting the love.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Once upon a time the screech of the dial-up sound signaled our entry into a new realm in the form of the Internet.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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People chatter, kids laugh, seagulls screech and birds chirp.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The first half of the season built up a lot of momentum and then came to a screeching halt.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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And when the pair brought the content mines to a screeching halt yesterday with a lunchtime Instagram post announcing their engagement, attention naturally turned to New Heights once again for a debrief, which came tucked into chatter about Kelce’s preseason prep.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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For a while, the only sound in the room was the squeak of a marker on a whiteboard, as Imamura wrote out several potential plot points.—
Matt Alt,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
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One of my only criticisms is how the interior is screwed together: more than a few squeaks and rattles came to light over choppy tarmac and mid-corner bumps and undulations.—
Peter Nelson,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Another wrong impression involves Morrison’s voice, which seems excited and high-pitched.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2025
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The Nashville singer-songwriter waited a full day with the high-pitched, pulsing sound before calling her doctor to check her ears.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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With Bono keeping his Cliffs of Dover yelp in check, Zooropa scales down U2's anthemic-apostles side.—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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He is heard letting out a yelp and seen crouching down moments before the homeowners get to the door.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrill. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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