screeching

1 of 2

adjective

screech·​ing ˈskrē-chiŋ 

: abrupt, sudden

her career came to a screeching halt

screeching

2 of 2

present participle of screech entry 2

Synonyms of screeching

Adjective

• shrill
• shrieking
• whistling

Examples of screeching in a Sentence

Adjective

the screeching blast of the factory whistle hurt my ears

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The government that came soon after brought it all to a screeching, heavily consequential halt. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Cox’s film is biased in Bill’s favor, portraying him as a lapdog whose love for this screeching, spiteful, beady-eyed woman is his great tragic flaw. — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026

Ditch the pull-ups during the day There’s no disputing that pull-up diapers can be a great help with potty training, but when toddlers get too comfortable with what was intended to be a safety net, progress can grind to a screeching halt. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

And in some parts of Greece, fires have forced tourism to come to a screeching halt. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1904, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing screeching

• screeching/crashing halt

Rhymes for screeching

• bleaching
• breaching
• breeching
• leaching
• preaching
• reaching
• teaching
• beseeching
• impeaching
• overreaching

Kids Definition

screeching

adjective

screech·​ing ˈskrē-chiŋ 

: sudden sense 1a

her career came to a screeching halt