as in fear
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
the sudden sight of a grizzly bear filled the hiker with panic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to scare
to strike with fear
for some reason, the herd of feeding animals at the zoo panicked him
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 panic
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025
About 60 others reported injuries caused by crowd crush during the mass panic and stampede that followed.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2025
Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
And perhaps, in the end, there will be no reason to panic at all.
—Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for panic
Noun
Expand All Newly released 911 calls captured the chaos and panic on April 6 at the Martini Bar in CityPlace Doral, where a mass shooting left two dead and seven people shot, including a police officer and a bar patron in critical condition.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025
About 60 others reported injuries caused by crowd crush during the mass panic and stampede that followed.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
After a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump that sent Democrats panicking over his mental acuity, Biden ultimately bowed out of the race in July, leaving Democrats with just 107 days before the election to find a new nominee and build a winning campaign.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
And perhaps, in the end, there will be no reason to panic at all.
—Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for panic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panic
Noun
-
Jurors deliberated less than 90 minutes over the crime, which renewed fears of anti-Muslim discrimination in the Chicago area’s large and established Palestinian community.—
Sophia Tareen and Melissa Perez Winder,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Had fear of exposure or rejection kept you from fully stepping into leadership or creative risk?—
Colin Bedell,
Them,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In 2023, a bear barged into a bakery in Avon, scared employees and helped itself to 60 cupcakes before ambling away.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Wise infuses a nurturing maturity and vulnerability in Nicole that scares Roger, and challenges him to confront his unhealthy relationship habits and general indecisiveness.—
Morgan A. Grain,
Essence,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
In the film, Shear stars as Sam, a once-promising law student whose anxiety has slowly chipped away at his confidence in all areas of his life.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Qigong also was found helpful in treating arthritis, depression and anxiety, and hypertension in a May 2022 study published in the Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research.—
Melanie Radzicki McManus,
CNN,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
On the streets, conservative protesters, frightened that the left could win the next election, have rallied to Yoon.—
ROBERT E. KELLY,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Feb. 2025
-
That frightened stray kitten forgot her fears and moved up on that ball of paper and batted it across the floor and then batted it again.—
Carole Wendt,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
They are devastated by what has happened, and terrified of what could happen if the current ceasefire collapses and the war and bombing resumes.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
-
The very idea of going to the Oscars on acid sounds terrifying AF, but so does coming off acid in the middle of the Oscars, which also happened to Parker and Stone.—
Lester Fabian Brathwaite,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Over the past few weeks, my family has watched with dread as the Trump administration has closed the borders of the United States to asylum seekers and refugees just like in World War II.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Feb. 2025
-
For many, there's a feeling of dread associated with software updates to your favorite gadget.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
Ars Technica,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Lilian, startled, looked around at the door, and that made the sisters laugh: Lilian, too, was tricked, just like the hedgehog.—
Yiyun Li,
The New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Homelessness and trauma can cause people to startle reflexively when touched, Greig says, part of the reason the site’s staff offers hugs to clients and encourages them to call family.—
Ian Willms,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Panic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panic. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share