as in to scare
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Recent Examples of frighten
Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.
—
Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
In the first Nobody, Odenkirk’s Hutch has to reignite the sleeping assassin within himself after his family was frightened by a botched home invasion.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
None of the practical considerations frightened me.
—Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
While the notion might frighten fans who have Thursday nights perpetually blocked off on their calendars, shorter episodes could prove beneficial in giving the Critical Role founders a little bit of a break.
—Dana Reboe, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
In the first Nobody, Odenkirk’s Hutch has to reignite the sleeping assassin within himself after his family was frightened by a botched home invasion.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
None of the practical considerations frightened me.
—Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
While the notion might frighten fans who have Thursday nights perpetually blocked off on their calendars, shorter episodes could prove beneficial in giving the Critical Role founders a little bit of a break.
—Dana Reboe, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Verb
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Yet, at the same time, automation scares people.—
Arthur Azizov,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Parents, scared by the specter of brain damage, are reluctant to let their kids play tackle football.—
Seth Wickersham,
The Atlantic,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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All of this terrified his father, Charlie, a former cop who had a premonition that something would go wrong.—
Seth Wickersham,
The Atlantic,
8 Sep. 2025
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Lewis, the five-star recruit and the people’s choice, looked good handing off and terrified on obvious passing downs.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then the Buckel brothers arrived, intent on doing the same, and Smith was startled.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
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Another Epstein accuser looked up, startled, to see where the deafening sound was coming from.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the detentions have already spooked foreign investors.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Sep. 2025
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Economists warn his low-tax, high-spend program would spook the bond markets.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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