screeching

adjective

screech·​ing ˈskrē-chiŋ How to pronounce screeching (audio)
: abrupt, sudden
her career came to a screeching halt

Examples of screeching in a Sentence

the screeching blast of the factory whistle hurt my ears
Recent Examples on the Web That was until Kansas City’s taste of false spring came to a screeching halt with the arrival of a fast moving cold front that swept into the area between 3 and 4 p.m. Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024 No wonder employment for truck drivers in Texas has been growing nonstop, while California’s has come to a screeching halt, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Uncertainty over that process, and a desire to see how the investigation by NTSB unfolds, could be among the reasons Boeing’s orders came to a screeching halt in the month. Chris Isidore, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024 Once upon a time, Katee Rose was America’s number one pop star, but her career came to a screeching halt when her boy-bander boyfriend, Ryan, broadcast her infidelity with his bandmate Cal Kirby. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2023 Majors’ assault case brought his quick Hollywood ascent to a screeching halt as studios shelved upcoming film projects with the actor, management firms reportedly dropped the actor and he was cut from ad campaigns. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024 But Young Thug’s career came to a screeching halt in May 2022 when he was arrested on charges of participating in gang activity and violating Georgia’s criminal racketeering law as part of YSL. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023 Most of the Baltimore region woke up 20 years ago Tuesday to the screeching sounds of Isabel, a tropical storm that barreled toward Maryland the previous evening and brought consistent hurricane-force winds with gusts nearing 100 mph early that morning. Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2023 The planned rail grinding should reduce the screeching sound or whirr that a news release notes as a hallmark of downtown. Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'screeching.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of screeching was in 1904

Dictionary Entries Near screeching

Cite this Entry

“Screeching.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screeching. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

screeching

adjective
screech·​ing ˈskrē-chiŋ How to pronounce screeching (audio)
: sudden sense 1a
her career came to a screeching halt

More from Merriam-Webster on screeching

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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