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
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
Will Ripley, CNN Money, 17 July 2025
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
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
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
Noun
While democratic Taiwan has long been used to those threats, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the increasingly shrill rhetoric from Chinese leader Xi Jinping and conflict in the Middle East have thrown into sharp relief what could be at stake if peace falters.
—Will Ripley, CNN Money, 17 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrill
Verb
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Screaming and shrieking, the drama between the bridesmaids is thick.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
10 Oct. 2025
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Once all is shrieked and done, though, what’s left is a faux-prestige screed that’s 100 percent #OhHellNo!—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Her newest venture into the genre is Hulu’s The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, a remake of the 1992 thriller of the same name, in which Winstead stars opposite fellow scream queen, Maika Monroe.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
22 Oct. 2025
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For the past decade, Monroe has established herself as a mainstay in the horror genre, not just a dependable player but a true modern scream queen who’s able to elevate predictable fare, stand toe-to-toe with monsters of all kinds, and, of course, lead modern classics to even greater heights.—
Matthew Jackson,
Vulture,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One of the first major highlights showed the moment Mei Xiang birthed a squealing Xiao Qi Ji and cradled her newborn cub.—
Sudiksha Kochi,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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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
Noun
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That frenetic screech of packing tape echoing in your emptying home may send your blood pressure soaring.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
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So rang the delighted screech of a young Manchester United fan outside the Progress with Unity Stadium, an hour before United’s Women’s Champions League debut against Valarenga on Wednesday night.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Then, their plans came to a screeching halt.—
Daniela Avila,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
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The Padres were eliminated from the playoffs in the Wild Card round, and because of Wrigley Field's century-old accommodations, the umpire crew was forced to exit the game through the visitors' dugout immediately after San Diego's season had come to a screeching halt.—
Valentina Martinez,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Her bottom lip dropped and a tiny squeak emerged.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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This isn’t like missing a 2-foot putt, or getting posterized, or letting a groundball squeak through your legs or blowing a tire on the ice.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Suddenly, the quiet is broken by a voice, high-pitched and smiling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
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Another wrong impression involves Morrison’s voice, which seems excited and high-pitched.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2025
Noun
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Doing this yelp as a human may work when training certain dogs, but the AKC advises that with some puppies, this could actually get the puppy more worked up and likely to bite.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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The complacent faces of phony mediums swirl in my head, along with unsettling spirit photographs and images of puppies that had died with a sudden yelp for no apparent reason.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrill. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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