reign of terror

noun phrase

: a state or a period of time marked by violence often committed by those in power that produces widespread terror

Examples of reign of terror in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The story of Richard Ramirez, one of America's most notorious serial killers, continues to captivate public attention decades after his reign of terror. Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024 The insurgents unleashed a reign of terror in some areas, sending a message to Hezbollah, whose fighters were battling alongside Assad's forces in Syria. Lauren Frayer, NPR, 9 Dec. 2024 And we are reminded this morning of the horrors from his reign of terror. CBS News, 8 Dec. 2024 One storyline that isn’t finished, however, is Captain Gerrard’s reign of terror. Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for reign of terror 

Word History

Etymology

Reign of Terror, a period of the French Revolution that was conspicuous for mass executions of political suspects

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reign of terror was in 1784

Dictionary Entries Near reign of terror

Cite this Entry

“Reign of terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign%20of%20terror. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

reign of terror

: a period marked by violence that is often carried out by those in power and produces terror among the people involved

More from Merriam-Webster on reign of terror

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