as in to frighten
to strike with fear
thunderstorms terrorize our cats, who all scamper downstairs when lightning flashes
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Recent Examples of terrorize
Playing real-life activist Eunice Paiva, Torres shows the emotional grind required to stay strong in the face of a government intent on terrorizing her family.
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Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024
In Season 1, Wednesday worked to master her emerging psychic abilities while tracking down a monster terrorizing the local town.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 4 Dec. 2024
Students and staff at the elementary school have been terrorized by the conduct that Sunrise's operations facilitate.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
The last time Donald Trump was president, rumors of immigration raids terrorized the Oregon community where Gustavo Balderas was the school superintendent.
—Bianca Vázquez Toness, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrorize 
Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024
In Season 1, Wednesday worked to master her emerging psychic abilities while tracking down a monster terrorizing the local town.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 4 Dec. 2024
Students and staff at the elementary school have been terrorized by the conduct that Sunrise's operations facilitate.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
The last time Donald Trump was president, rumors of immigration raids terrorized the Oregon community where Gustavo Balderas was the school superintendent.
—Bianca Vázquez Toness, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrorize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorize
Verb
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There is nothing frail or frightened about his Scrooge.Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
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The narrative arc of Ghosts follows a gentleman mysteriously endowed with supernatural abilities that frighten the residents of a phantom town.Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The 2x Oscar nominee, who co-wrote and directed the 2005 Johnny Cash pic Walk the Line, has not been scared off from paying cinematic tribute to other legendary musicians after the parody Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007).Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Dec. 2024
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High prices could scare off would-be investors, but momentum abounds.Max Zahn, ABC News, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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As a mother of three daughters, I am terrified by how this technology has been used to exploit teenagers.Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
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Do these mushrooms leave you more awe-struck than terrified?Scott Travers, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Officers sent a drone through the broken window for a better view, startling Moore and prompting him to drive to a Walgreens parking lot where he was taken into custody, police said.Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
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Keep the door pinned open initially to avoid startling them.Lucy Notarantonio, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near terrorize
Cite this Entry
“Terrorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorize. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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