1
as in angry
feeling or showing anger
some visibly riley people were lined up in the customer service department
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in muddy
having visible particles in liquid suspension
take care not to stir up the bottom of the stream when you fill the dipper, or your water will be riley
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riley
Adjective
-
Bill, who was a Vietnam War veteran, tended to be angry and demanding at home.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 May 2026 -
An angry crowd rioted outside an Australian Outback hospital where a man accused of killing a 5-year-old girl was treated for a vigilante beating.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
During a recent visit by Fortune, Haushalter trudged through her muddy post-rain fields in high rubber boots.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
Old hellebore varieties didn't generate much excitement with their muddy-colored blooms that turned their faces to the soil, but newer cultivars are bigger and brighter.—
Jamie McIntosh,
The Spruce,
5 May 2026
Adjective
-
Fray was also mad at himself for cramping, which forced him to be substituted out of Saturday’s loss in the 66th minute.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
-
Their ferocious poetry resurrects them, inviting other mad seekers to take up their story.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
One night in 2011, a gunman fired seven shots that hit the White House; one struck ballistic glass on the Truman Balcony, where the Obamas often sat.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The missile defines the operational purpose of the ballistic submarine fleet by enabling long-duration stealth patrols and immediate strategic strike capabilities.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The victim told police Walton became enraged over not receiving a tip, leading to an argument.—
Stepheny Price , Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2026
-
Rail workers press for tighter security Unions have been fighting to strengthen passenger rail workers' protections for nearly a decade, after several incidents like the 2017 shooting of a conductor by an enraged passenger at the train station in Naperville, Illinois.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Previously, Hungarians opposed to the government were indignant but apathetic.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Upon his return, Tagovailoa gave a rather indignant response to those who questioned his NFL future.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Thomas Paine, released from prison and woven back into French society, wrote a long, furious letter to George Washington.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The Toronto Blue Jays erased a one-run deficit with a furious eighth inning against the Twins’ bullpen on Saturday, scoring eight earned runs before recording an out to rally for an 11-4 victory at Target Field.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
The public became even more outraged when side-by-side photos circulated on social media, leading many to speculate that Kim had permanently damaged the fragile silk soufflé fabric.—
Alyssa Modos,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
-
Lilly was particularly outraged over the axing of Marvel’s director of visual development Andy Park, who was a member of the Marvel Studios family for 16 years.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Riley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riley. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
