as in shrill
having a high musical pitch or range
the whistling sound of missiles as they sped toward their targets
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whistling
Adjective
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Joe’s voice rose to a shrill cry.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026 -
There’s a straight line between the criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell and increasingly shrill threats to seize Greenland.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Taken together, these factors can lead to children wheezing and experiencing difficulty breathing, leaving them with bluish colored skin from a lack of oxygen.—
Michael Cromer,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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The main symptoms are wheezing, difficult breathing and fever.—
Stephanie Stahl,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, the Bronx Zoo in New York has revived its annual tradition of naming one of the zoo’s thousands of Madagascar hissing cockroaches for $15.—
Julian Torres,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
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Why Madagascar hissing cockroaches are actually romantic Naming a roach for Valentine’s Day is a great gag, but also these critters are capable of hissing their way into your heart.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the screams of pain were unmistakable, picked up a number of times by the microphones placed around the course, which usually deliver the evocative whooshing sounds of skiers hurtling down the slopes at speeds that feel inhuman.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
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What sets Lech apart from the Rockies is not only the resort’s sense of quiet luxury but also the thrill of whooshing from one fairytale village to another in a single afternoon, while largely avoiding media scrutiny.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Dollop whipped cream over panna cotta and spread, swooshing decoratively as desired.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Somehow, two sequels have materialized to update the swooshing neon visuals and cartoony renditions of a virtual world.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Whistling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whistling. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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