as in to frighten
to strike with fear
the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me
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Recent Examples of terrify
As 1994 approached, the United States was on the verge of hosting the World Cup — but national soccer officials were terrified that the home team was about to humiliate itself on a global stage.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
The air in the room changed immediately, terrifying little Liza.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2026
Frankly, the thought of being beaten by the subscribers terrifies me.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Mice know cats can smell them, and cats emit chemicals that terrify mice.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
The air in the room changed immediately, terrifying little Liza.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2026
Frankly, the thought of being beaten by the subscribers terrifies me.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Mice know cats can smell them, and cats emit chemicals that terrify mice.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrify
Verb
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Grete is frightened of her brother, of course.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Israel knows women and babies were tortured, burned and posed in inhuman ways for one reason — to frighten.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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During the first phase, last spring, before DHS got the infusion of new money, Noem led a shock-and-awe campaign aimed mostly at scaring people into leaving.—
Nick Miroff,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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At the time, local hunters blamed the Ping for scaring away game.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some cyclists sped by pretty quickly, startling us and our dog.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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This is a novel about Jewish bodies and how people respond to them, the toll of obsession, and the conflicting currents of desire and unease that shake and startle a deep romantic fixation.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrify. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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