as in vocal
sounding harsh, forceful, and unpleasant
They heard their boss's strident voice from down the hall. The critical questions began to anger the professor and the tone of her answers became noticeably more strident.
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Recent Examples of strident
Under his leadership, Harvard has made tangible progress with even the most strident critics agreeing Harvard is making great progress.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
No Kings hasn’t been hijacked by leftist groups with more extreme agendas, spouting strident anti-American language that’s bound to repel ordinary people.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Opposing the war might ruin the nation, so political dissidents had to be stopped, and the court affirmed the government’s right to silence strident speakers.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
For two years leading up to the fatal shooting, as police archive video shows, Lorincz constantly called 911 to make false allegations about her Black neighbors, reserving many of her most strident complaints for children who played near her house (on property they were entitled to enjoy).
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strident
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
No Kings hasn’t been hijacked by leftist groups with more extreme agendas, spouting strident anti-American language that’s bound to repel ordinary people.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Opposing the war might ruin the nation, so political dissidents had to be stopped, and the court affirmed the government’s right to silence strident speakers.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
For two years leading up to the fatal shooting, as police archive video shows, Lorincz constantly called 911 to make false allegations about her Black neighbors, reserving many of her most strident complaints for children who played near her house (on property they were entitled to enjoy).
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strident
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strident
Adjective
-
But critics of bell-to-bell bans are just as vocal.—
Theo Peck-Suzuki,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Country singers impressed, as did the unique vocal stylings of dementia-care aide Brooks Rosser, who is all but certain to be among the last standing in the competition.—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Arratia in particular worships at the altar of De la Iglesia whose highly political, outspoken but structured political melodramas, made from the ‘60s to the ‘80s, underscored how Spain’s establishment exploited it young proles, pushed into crime for a lack of real economic alternatives.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Always entertaining and joking with those around him, the outspoken American has taken on a showman personality at the Games.—
Tales Azzoni,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Bauder admonished the crowd several times for being too noisy, and police removed a protester who yelled vulgar comments.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Anthemic action was giving way to chill mantras, as if to regulate the ever noisier, ever more distracting world.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There was more screaming and yelling for people who wanted to get a ventilator available in their home.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2021
Adjective
-
This is blatant hypocrisy for Republicans to demonstrate.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The controversy connects to a larger schism on the right, with some conservatives pushing back against an increasingly vocal faction whose denunciations of Israel, critics say, often combine with blatant antisemitism.—
Peter Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strident. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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