take fright

idiom

: to suddenly become afraid
I approached very slowly, but the hawk took fright and flew away.
Investors took fright at the news and pulled their money.

Examples of take fright in a Sentence

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That inflationary hit could be compounded if investors take fright and sell the pound, putting additional upward pressure on import costs. Joe Mayes, Bloomberg.com, 16 Oct. 2020

Dictionary Entries Near take fright

Cite this Entry

“Take fright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20fright. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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