as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
Ichabod Crane was so spooked that he left Sleepy Hollow for good
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scared
to strike with fear
the sudden noise spooked her out of her skin
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spooked
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 4 Sep. 2025
But the deployment of—among others—three destroyers, at least one submarine and an amphibious ready group (ARG) filled with Marines is a further deterioration in the poor relationship between Washington and Caracas that appears to have spooked Maduro.
—Ellie Cook
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Making a Basket Case Out of ASDA Shareholders were spooked earlier this year when key competitor ASDA unveiled its plans to launch aggressive rollbacks to its prices.
—John Choong, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
In one of this episode’s best scenes, Dame tries to figure out what’s wrong with Nibs, who has been spooked since encountering the scary aliens at the Maginot crash site.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
Expect behind-the-scenes tales from recording booths where even the narrators got spooked.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
The plan fell apart when local commissioners got spooked by the cost.
—Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2025
The uncertainty spooked investors, pushing the risk premium on French bonds over their German equivalents up 5 basis points to their highest level since mid-June.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
Investors could have been spooked by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's caution about an AI bubble forming, although some analysts dispute that assertion.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
When a truck backfires on the street outside her office, a colleague is spooked, but Ziva stays perfectly calm — a moment that gains added importance soon enough.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 4 Sep. 2025
But the deployment of—among others—three destroyers, at least one submarine and an amphibious ready group (ARG) filled with Marines is a further deterioration in the poor relationship between Washington and Caracas that appears to have spooked Maduro.
—Ellie Cook
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Making a Basket Case Out of ASDA Shareholders were spooked earlier this year when key competitor ASDA unveiled its plans to launch aggressive rollbacks to its prices.
—John Choong, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
In one of this episode’s best scenes, Dame tries to figure out what’s wrong with Nibs, who has been spooked since encountering the scary aliens at the Maginot crash site.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
Expect behind-the-scenes tales from recording booths where even the narrators got spooked.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
The plan fell apart when local commissioners got spooked by the cost.
—Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2025
The uncertainty spooked investors, pushing the risk premium on French bonds over their German equivalents up 5 basis points to their highest level since mid-June.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
Investors could have been spooked by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's caution about an AI bubble forming, although some analysts dispute that assertion.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spooked
Adjective
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Using towels and a garden hose fitted with a piece of wood, the rescuers guided the frightened kitten through the winding pipes.—
Ronnie Li,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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When 17 children from one classroom inexplicably run out into the night, a frightened insular community starts pointing fingers at their young schoolteacher (Julia Garner) and the sole survivor, Alex (Cary Christopher).—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His home’s security system was triggered and reportedly scared off the burglar, and nothing was stolen from the property.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Some users were scared by the object.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Ed and Lorraine are the beautiful, tragic saviors of a terrified family confronted with a deep evil, strengthened by the power of their love for each other.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
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Parents are terrified, doctors are overwhelmed, and public confidence in our nation’s health leadership has collapsed.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
4 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
Adjective
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When people aren’t afraid to flag phishing emails, report missteps or question suspicious behavior, organizations become more adaptive and resilient.—
Aliasgar Dohadwala,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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According to new research from SoFi, 44% of students and parents feel uninformed about student loans but are probably too afraid to ask questions.—
Brian Walsh,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hoffman can’t help but cut me off in horrified pity.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
27 Aug. 2025
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Finding the remainder, to me, is a part of long division which left me feeling rather horrified.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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His promotion of conspiracy theories claiming vaccines cause autism, linking antidepressants to school shootings and even suggesting WiFi causes cancer alarmed healthcare professionals and Democratic lawmakers.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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For Salvadorans and deportees alike, what awaits inside these prisons has alarmed advocates.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But when the news eventually came out, the rest of the family was shocked.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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In 2025, the festival also celebrated new life with the unexpected birth of a baby to shocked parents.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spooked. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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