as in to scare
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Recent Examples of frighten
Meanwhile, in the real world, Netflix’s release strategy continues to frighten and confuse.
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Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 19 May 2025
His plan horrified and frightened most Arab leaders, not just on humanitarian grounds but because a large influx of Gazans would destabilize any Arab countries that took them in.
—Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 12 May 2025
Secretary of Leak Investigations Pete Hegseth parlayed a threat to Iran, delivered on X partly in all caps—nice touch, that’ll frighten them—into third place (20.4 percent).
—George Kalogerakis, Air Mail, 10 May 2025
They’ve been known to frighten children and ruin picnics, but there is an exception: butterflies.
—Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 19 May 2025
His plan horrified and frightened most Arab leaders, not just on humanitarian grounds but because a large influx of Gazans would destabilize any Arab countries that took them in.
—Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 12 May 2025
Secretary of Leak Investigations Pete Hegseth parlayed a threat to Iran, delivered on X partly in all caps—nice touch, that’ll frighten them—into third place (20.4 percent).
—George Kalogerakis, Air Mail, 10 May 2025
They’ve been known to frighten children and ruin picnics, but there is an exception: butterflies.
—Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Verb
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Commissioners debate impact fees Several commissioners expressed concerns that a sharp hike in impact fees could scare away businesses from building in Manatee County, from day care centers to manufacturing.—
Ryan Ballogg,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
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Apparently, the card's $5 million price tag is not scaring off the jet-setters looking to make the U.S. home.—
Tovia Smith,
NPR,
2 June 2025
Verb
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The report's analysis of teaching capabilities reveals why educators are feeling simultaneously excited and terrified about AI's expanding role in classrooms.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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When neighbors are afraid to call the police, when workers fear going to their jobs, and when children are terrified their parents won’t come home — that’s not safety.—
Andrew Nietor,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Part of what startled Fitzgerald’s generation about their studio experience was how near at hand the real bad guys could be.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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The late morning blast rattled homes and startled the desert city just before 11 local time, The Desert Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
Verb
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The whipping and snapping of a windsock may also spook them.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 June 2025
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Each fraction of a point in rate increase makes our fiscal position all the worse, which spooks markets further, which drives rates higher still.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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