How to Use intimidate in a Sentence

intimidate

verb
  • He tries to intimidate his opponents.
  • You shouldn't allow his reputation to intimidate you.
  • One of the men was armed, and the workers felt that the intention of the men was to intimidate them.
    Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 26 Sep. 2020
  • This time, the goal is to intimidate and maybe even scare Tess away.
    refinery29.com, 11 June 2018
  • As for what to put in the stuff, the sheer freedom can be intimidating.
    Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, 22 Mar. 2018
  • The goal and purpose of both of these actions was to intimidate.
    Star Tribune, 28 Mar. 2021
  • The length of the line on his day off, however, doesn’t intimidate him.
    Jordan Erb, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Oct. 2020
  • He could be locked up any day now, but the idea of serving jail time doesn’t intimidate him in the slightest.
    Sarah Hutto, The New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2020
  • Like the ship in the movie, Charles’s destroyer intimidates with its size.
    William Herkewitz, Popular Mechanics, 4 Mar. 2020
  • Even for women who spend their lives on the snow, the cold was intimidating.
    Author: Chelsea Janes, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Feb. 2018
  • Woolf was both in awe of and intimidated by her younger lover.
    Elena Nicolaou, refinery29.com, 24 Aug. 2019
  • Meat and cheese boards might have a fancy new name these days, but don't let that intimidate you.
    Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Dec. 2022
  • China has long used the threat of force to intimidate Taiwan.
    Chris Horton, Bloomberg.com, 11 Oct. 2020
  • The clear aim is to intimidate civilians into giving up hope of a say in who rules them.
    The Economist, 14 June 2019
  • The bird had its wings arched over its back, a pose called busking that male swans use to intimidate rivals.
    National Geographic, 19 Oct. 2016
  • All the president has done so far is try to intimidate you.
    Gary M. Singer, Sun-Sentinel.com, 16 Feb. 2018
  • The presence of so many Chinese ships is meant to intimidate.
    New York Times, 3 Apr. 2021
  • Thompson turned his back and walked down the court, not intimidated by the contact.
    Dan Woike, latimes.com, 27 May 2018
  • The search was for no reason other than to intimidate me.
    Opinion By: Roman Badanin, CNN, 15 Mar. 2022
  • Knowing which wine glass to serve at dinner can seem intimidating to those who may be new to the ins and outs of the beverage.
    Michelle Love, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2023
  • For one thing, the thought of opening up this giant and complex can of worms is intimidating.
    Christine Byrne, Self, 27 Nov. 2019
  • Don't let anyone intimidate you -- get out there and vote.
    Emmet Lyons, CNN, 28 Oct. 2020
  • Hike and travel in large groups, which are intimidating to bears.
    Thomas Oide, sacbee.com, 3 June 2017
  • Most plants don’t intimidate me, in the kitchen or otherwise.
    Joe Yonan, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
  • The thought of an image taking up a full, large screen is intimidating!
    Eliza Brooke, The Verge, 23 Mar. 2018
  • He is not intimidated by the mountain this program has to climb.
    Scottie Bordelon, Arkansas Online, 9 Dec. 2019
  • Car bombs were set off in the military’s attempts to intimidate them.
    Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2022
  • White men in pickup trucks would sit outside her house to intimidate her.
    Washington Post, 26 June 2021
  • This threat alone could intimidate the press and lead to skewed and unfair reporting.
    Fortune, 11 Oct. 2017
  • If seeing a movie in a packed theater intimidates you, try a matinee.
    Jenna Ryu, SELF, 7 Sep. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intimidate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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