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
The weekend’s strike was, to Ukraine’s allies, a gruesome reminder of Moscow’s true intent in its invasion: to terrify Ukrainians into submission.
—
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
June tries to deescalate the situation by telling everyone that police are on their way to arrest Serena, which terrifies the new mom.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 Apr. 2025
Frances Bay Never forget how terrifying the late Frances Bay once made creamed corn seem.
—Drew MacKie, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The footage also featured glimpses at Glinda and Fiyero’s splashy wedding, those terrifying flying monkeys, as well as the iconic shot of Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion arriving in Oz and presenting themselves in front of the wonderful wizard.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
June tries to deescalate the situation by telling everyone that police are on their way to arrest Serena, which terrifies the new mom.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 Apr. 2025
Frances Bay Never forget how terrifying the late Frances Bay once made creamed corn seem.
—Drew MacKie, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The footage also featured glimpses at Glinda and Fiyero’s splashy wedding, those terrifying flying monkeys, as well as the iconic shot of Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion arriving in Oz and presenting themselves in front of the wonderful wizard.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrify
Verb
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Two years ago, several small-business owners testified to a legislative committee that Americans with Disabilities Act plaintiffs’ lawyers filed spurious complaints, alleging what appeared to be a random list of violations in an attempt to frighten and intimidate the business owner.—
Mark Hillman,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2025
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This has hallmarks of emotional abuse – non-physical behaviors meant to isolate, control and frighten.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Missouri product is a solid route-runner with sure hands, but there are some off-field concerns that could scare teams away.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Apr. 2025
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As the Trump administration arbitrarily revokes and denies student visas, and xenophobic rhetoric scares away potential foreigners, agencies specializing in recruiting students from abroad are facing a sharp downturn.—
Emma Whitford,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In a now-viral video from Stacy Goss, the family was startled by the sight of a huge bald eagle gawking at them, but more concerningly, at their dog Gnocchi.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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Area residents might remember similar sights of helicopters in 2023, when the sounds of gunfire and explosions from military training startled some in the Kansas City metro.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrify. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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