1
as in to talk
to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities
that stool pigeon squealed to the police about the whole smuggling operation
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2
as in to shriek
to cry out loudly and emotionally
the child squealed with frustration
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
hoped that a DVD player in the backseat would keep the kids from squealing about long car rides
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in screech
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squeal
Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
So many sounds emerge, subtle things: drills, squealing, buzzing, vocal loops, along with guitar solos, shimmering guitar melodies, riffs, accents, and additional, complimentary guitar lines draped on top of each other.
—Aaron Gilbreath, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2024
Christopher Null, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2025
But their therapy session is deliberately drowned out by the squeals of a nameless naked couple romping in the back.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squeal
Verb
One day, when the cat in our local bodega poked its head out of the store, Ellie squealed like a child.
—Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
So many sounds emerge, subtle things: drills, squealing, buzzing, vocal loops, along with guitar solos, shimmering guitar melodies, riffs, accents, and additional, complimentary guitar lines draped on top of each other.
—Aaron Gilbreath, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
Much like the Zepp Clarity One aids, the Pixie aids feature frequent and random bouts of ear-piercing squeals that are impossible to ignore, even at the bare minimum volume.
—Christopher Null, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2025
But their therapy session is deliberately drowned out by the squeals of a nameless naked couple romping in the back.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squeal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squeal
Verb
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Prior to the premiere, O’Brien talked to Variety about the challenge of playing dual parts.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2025
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The Handmaid's Tale creator Bruce Miller talks the shocking reunion in the season 6 premiere.—
Lauren Huff,
EW.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Ozturk shrieked in fear as the officers — some of whom wore sunglasses — then covered their noses and mouths.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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As soon as the actress shrieked to indicate that something was amiss, her costar, Justin Theroux, jumped up and stood behind her to begin fixing the garment.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Pundits complained last year’s Cannes was a light affair, but that had to do with the bottleneck created by the strikes, for one.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
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While speaking at a dinner hosted by the National Republican Congressional Committee on Tuesday, Trump complained over how the U.S. doesn’t manufacturer its own pharmaceuticals stating that tariffs on these products would be forthcoming.—
Joseph Choi,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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One-take monologues are sliced in half, plot twists pause mid-gasp, and a car chase sequence screeches to a halt.—
Viren Naidu,
IndieWire,
24 Mar. 2025
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While not functional, the shiny cars served as props for young kids to vape, scroll on their phones, and screech on top of.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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See this steel-case perpetual calendar model, a three-day automatic powered by the company’s 34th caliber developed in-house — but still squeaking in at less than $10,000, a fraction of what most Swiss makers command for a mechanical watch with a calendar that keeps up with leap years.—
Robin Swithinbank,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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House Bill 1277 squeaked out of the chamber with 33 votes, the minimum needed to clear the chamber; 30 representatives voted no, with some Democrats joining Republicans.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Polley’s Polley ends up (understandably) screaming in frustration when Matt pratfalls his way into the shot, a tantrum the indie director could hardly relate to as someone known for facilitating calm, peaceful productions on intimate character studies.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
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The mutual devotion – both from the screaming fans and Parton herself – was palpable.—
Rebecca Deurlein,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Callie hasn’t done much but whine about her suspension and yearn for a more meaningful connection with her mom this season, so a surprise killer role might shake things up for her storyline.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2025
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Sun Sentinel Dave Hyde: No need to overanalyze or whine — Heat suffering from Butler’s sabotage The Heat have lost eight straight games in a season gone south since Jimmy Butler quit on them and was traded.—
South Florida Sun Sentinel,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Republican conference is rife with sticking points as budget hawks squawk and some House Republicans insist on increasing the state and local tax deduction.—
Taylor Giorno,
The Hill,
30 Dec. 2024
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There’s no dialogue, at least none decipherable to human ears — everything is a symphony of meows, woofs, squawks, grunts, squeaks, squeals and simian cries.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Squeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squeal. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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