variants
also appal
as in to terrify
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
conditions inside the house overrun with cats simply appalled animal control officers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 appall
Dismay or appall you, sure, but never surprise you.
—
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
That kind of appalls me to think that people need not expect that of themselves.
—David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
What appalls him now is a lack of accountability in Netanyahu’s government.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2024
Kunzig: Alejandra, the weather this year kept finding fresh ways to appall us.
—Susan Goldberg, National Geographic, 9 Dec. 2021
The whiteness of the fantasy village will appall some — including, presumably, those who protested Gelman’s leadership of The Wing, that women-only co-working operation whose own workforce was notoriously segregated by race.
—Grace Lavery, Curbed, 20 Apr. 2022
Are there some whose only aim is to appall and disturb?
—Mark Shanahan, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Dec. 2022
These attacks weren't meant to appall liberals; they were meant to entice conservatives.
—Grayson Quay, The Week, 21 July 2022
To borrow a phrase from 19th-century Parisian poets, Épater la bourgeoisie—to shock and appall the middle class.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 23 June 2022
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
That kind of appalls me to think that people need not expect that of themselves.
—David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
What appalls him now is a lack of accountability in Netanyahu’s government.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2024
Kunzig: Alejandra, the weather this year kept finding fresh ways to appall us.
—Susan Goldberg, National Geographic, 9 Dec. 2021
The whiteness of the fantasy village will appall some — including, presumably, those who protested Gelman’s leadership of The Wing, that women-only co-working operation whose own workforce was notoriously segregated by race.
—Grace Lavery, Curbed, 20 Apr. 2022
Are there some whose only aim is to appall and disturb?
—Mark Shanahan, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Dec. 2022
These attacks weren't meant to appall liberals; they were meant to entice conservatives.
—Grayson Quay, The Week, 21 July 2022
To borrow a phrase from 19th-century Parisian poets, Épater la bourgeoisie—to shock and appall the middle class.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 23 June 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appall
Verb
-
On the military plane ride from California to Panama, Mona, a 32-year-old Iranian Christian convert, said her 8-year-old son cried, terrified to see his parents shackled.—
Julie Turkewitz,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2025
-
However, the exhibit’s approach is just the opposite of Jackson’s — not to terrify moviegoers, but rather to demystify the eight-legged animals by fostering curiosity and empathy.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Buff Strickland While known for her dressmaker detail and eye for color, Bratton believes that the essence of a house begins with the hard finishes, encompassing everything from cabinetry, fixtures, and flooring to hardware and paint colors.—
Dan Howarth,
Architectural Digest,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Behind the scenes, the Marlies have been floored by Steeves’ positivity at a time when many ‘tweeners would veer towards negativity.—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Thousands of residents and visitors have left Santorini, frightened by the earthquakes measuring between magnitude 3 and magnitude 5 in the area since the weekend.—
Elena Becatoros,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2025
-
President Trump did no one any favors and his irresponsible accusations were meant to confuse and spread an unfounded conspiracy while both trying to score political points as well as frighten the flying public needlessly.—
Michael B. Teiger,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
His limited resume and the fact he’s spent more time in the box than on the edge also might scare teams, which means Walker’s potential draft range could be rather large.—
Nick Baumgardner,
The Athletic,
18 Feb. 2025
-
That's one week after Borderlands 4 and just in time to scare everyone (hopefully) during the all-spooky Halloween season.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Timothée Chalamet pulled an upset win for Outstanding Male Actor for A Complete Unknown and Conclave shocked as well with an Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture win at the 2025 SAG Awards Sunday night in Los Angeles.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
-
The Taser shocked him for a few seconds, then Wilhoite got into his car and drove away, according to the affidavit.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Cole Aldrich, a former All-American with the Jayhawks and eventual first-round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, was disgusted by KU’s effort.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2025
-
The Sooners should still be fine given their bona fides, but the current 3-8 mark in the SEC is going to disgust some observers.—
Jim Root,
The Athletic,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Israelis were horrified by the sight of three emaciated hostages in an earlier release this month, and revelations about hostages being held alone, barefoot or in chains have increased the pressure on Netanyahu’s government to push ahead with the ceasefire’s next phase.—
Natalie Melzer,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
-
TikTok users were equal parts amused and horrified, with many sharing their thoughts on the faux pas in the post’s comments section.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
My group chat plotted how many Canadian flags would sufficiently offend at a sports bar.—
Vjosa Isai,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
-
The community votes on these notes and the one deemed most accurate is displayed underneath the offending tweet.—
Jibin Joseph,
PCMAG,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Appall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appall. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share