as in angry
feeling or showing anger the woman was obviously riled, as she kept throwing things
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in annoyed
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts one sure way to rile me is to keep yelling for me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in infuriated
to make angry her husband isn't easily riled, but once he is, he stays that way for days
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of riled
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026 The more people tell them to pipe down, the more riled up Kizzi and Joe get. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026 They’re aided by a small team of assistants who double as dogsitters when Siwa’s poodle Clyde gets too riled up in the dance studio — he’s been known to nip the ankles of men. —Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2026 Activists are riled up over the food delivery robots traversing the city, operated by the delivery companies Coco and Serve Robotics. —Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026 April Fools' Day was a thing back then, too — and of course, other fanciful stories that might have gotten Chicagoans riled up have turned up since. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026 While two sources say Sarandos was riled to hear about this during a chance encounter with a Penguin executive, a Netflix insider says the Co-CEO never met anyone at the publishing house regarding the book. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026 The product of an online hip-hop ecosystem now built around getting attention through clipfarming social media accounts made to get millennials riled up? —Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026 Rosenberg and others of his ilk like Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones and Hasan Piker and Bob Grant from decades ago, play to their audience’s fears, getting their listeners riled up. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026 Golden turned and riled up the 11,000-plus in attendance. —ABC News, 28 Feb. 2026 And yet Josh Safdie’s Oscar contender and Jacob Tierney’s TV phenomenon have riled up parts of their audience in similar ways. —David Colman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Jacobs, at least in the movie, never gets riled or angry or stressed. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026 The more people tell them to pipe down, the more riled up Kizzi and Joe get. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026 They’re aided by a small team of assistants who double as dogsitters when Siwa’s poodle Clyde gets too riled up in the dance studio — he’s been known to nip the ankles of men. —Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Other times, the likes of junior safety Kyle Hall has gotten the defense riled up after batting down a ball that was basically in Wagner’s hands. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2026 Activists are riled up over the food delivery robots traversing the city, operated by the delivery companies Coco and Serve Robotics. —Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026 April Fools' Day was a thing back then, too — and of course, other fanciful stories that might have gotten Chicagoans riled up have turned up since. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026 While two sources say Sarandos was riled to hear about this during a chance encounter with a Penguin executive, a Netflix insider says the Co-CEO never met anyone at the publishing house regarding the book. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026 The product of an online hip-hop ecosystem now built around getting attention through clipfarming social media accounts made to get millennials riled up? —Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026 Rosenberg and others of his ilk like Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones and Hasan Piker and Bob Grant from decades ago, play to their audience’s fears, getting their listeners riled up. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026 Golden turned and riled up the 11,000-plus in attendance. —ABC News, 28 Feb. 2026 And yet Josh Safdie’s Oscar contender and Jacob Tierney’s TV phenomenon have riled up parts of their audience in similar ways. —David Colman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riled
Adjective
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The many leaps in time to the wedding—to which Ruben shows up on a motorcycle, angry enough to knock his brother out with a single punch—consistently ratchet up the sense of dread, and the suspense over why or how these two have stayed enmeshed.— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
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Jabil board defies angry shareholders.— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Teams routinely get annoyed with media that spends time on this sort of thing, but there is no better sales tactic than drama.— Mac Engel April 16, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026
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But now Lamar is doing press annoyed with me.— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Genuine labor advocates are infuriated by its decline, which has proceeded under Republican and Democratic administrations alike.— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
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That this stalemate has dragged on this long has infuriated Levin, who considers keeping the government functioning a basic tenet of Congress’s job.— Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Officers said an adult male suspect attempted to sell products to the bakery and became enraged when an employee declined.— Tim Fang, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
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Shortly after administering the technical to an enraged Self, referee Doug Sirmons hit KU’s coach with another tech, ostensibly for remaining on the court instead of returning to the coach’s box.— Gary Bedore March 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There’s a big ensemble, elaborate costumes, a book that winks at every Rodgers and Hammerstein inconsistency that has ever bothered you, and, briefly, a dream ballet.— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
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Only people like Dennis bothered to notice.— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Many Canadians have also been angered by Trumps comments suggesting Canada become the 51st state.— Jim Morris, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
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This further angered anti-ICE protesters and led Americans to take to the streets in cities nationwide and call for the mass deportations to end.— Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the episode, David is caught between a delicious new Palestinian chicken restaurant, a Palestinian girlfriend and an outraged inner circle of Jewish friends.— Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
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This dispute culminated in the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s designation, by outraged tweet, of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk—a standing peril to national security.— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even minimal exposure to artificial lights irritated his burns, and recovery took months.— Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
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Many people have come out of the woodwork and jumped on the bandwagon, which irritated me.— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/riled. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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