as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
the terrorized victims didn't know where to run during the bombing raid
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scared
to strike with fear
thunderstorms terrorize our cats, who all scamper downstairs when lightning flashes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 terrorized
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
Similarly, Ethan, increasingly terrorized by it all, must keep his superior, Phil Sarkowski (Dean Norris), at bay, along with other colleagues, in order to keep Nora safe at a major turning point in their relationship.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024
For over a year, a serial killer terrorized Los Angeles — until its residents took him down.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
The Syrian civil war, up to last week, was the tedious winnowing process in which the Assad government bombed, killed, and terrorized Syrians into either fleeing the country or submitting to him.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 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
Steelers receiver George Pickens terrorized the Commanders defense to the tune of a near 100-yard receiving day while journeyman Mike Williams got behind Washington’s secondary to catch a go-ahead touchdown of over 30-plus yards to secure the 28-27 victory.
—Kambui Bomani, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
And Barkley terrorized the Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, rushing for 176 yards on just 17 carries.
—Howard Megdal, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
In the film, three young women separated by decades and thousands of miles are terrorized by the same ethereal threat that nobody, not even them, can properly see.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
After achieving a conviction in a brutal triple homicide that had terrorized his mountain town, Sgt.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
Similarly, Ethan, increasingly terrorized by it all, must keep his superior, Phil Sarkowski (Dean Norris), at bay, along with other colleagues, in order to keep Nora safe at a major turning point in their relationship.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024
For over a year, a serial killer terrorized Los Angeles — until its residents took him down.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
The Syrian civil war, up to last week, was the tedious winnowing process in which the Assad government bombed, killed, and terrorized Syrians into either fleeing the country or submitting to him.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 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
Steelers receiver George Pickens terrorized the Commanders defense to the tune of a near 100-yard receiving day while journeyman Mike Williams got behind Washington’s secondary to catch a go-ahead touchdown of over 30-plus yards to secure the 28-27 victory.
—Kambui Bomani, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
And Barkley terrorized the Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, rushing for 176 yards on just 17 carries.
—Howard Megdal, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
In the film, three young women separated by decades and thousands of miles are terrorized by the same ethereal threat that nobody, not even them, can properly see.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorized
Adjective
-
Horses are naturally skittish animals that can easily become frightened and bolt.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
27 May 2025
-
Footage from the immediate aftermath captured mothers and fathers clutching children on their hips, running through the mist of water dousing the flames, while frightened dogs scrambled alongside them.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
The movie sees the revival of arch-villain Feathers McGraw, who terrified kids in 1993’s The Wrong Trousers.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
23 Dec. 2024
-
My Hugo would chase it and bark at it, or he'd be terrified.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Plus, hearing from the new owners, those dogs have also been scared and skittish around humans.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
-
While gold is a popular choice when investors are scared, other alternatives such as infrastructure and real estate offer similar protection.—
Eric Satz,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Moreover, Rocket has a relatively new CEO who wants to dominate the mortgage industry and is not afraid of technology, previously working at Intuit, PayPal, Groupon and Microsoft.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
24 May 2025
-
The youngest cast member at the time, Williams set the tone for the raw emotion the show was not afraid to show over the years.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
While guest hosting Today with Jenna & Friends on Tuesday, May 20, Guthrie, 53, shared that her son Charley, 8, asked her not to come to his school's party, leaving her good friend Jenna Bush Hager, 43, shocked.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
20 May 2025
-
So when Green’s ex reached out, unprompted, Green was shocked.—
Megan Farokhmanesh,
Wired News,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Trump administration’s unprecedented action against Harvard is not the only reason why international college students have become alarmed about their future in the United States.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
-
But even legal scholars with an expansive view of executive authority have grown alarmed.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrorized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorized. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share