as in terrifies
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frightens
The thing that frightens me isn’t that machines will replace people.
—
Maria Colacurcio,
Fortune,
28 June 2026
What frightens scientists more than the sheer numbers are that the cuts are arbitrary and manifestly pernicious.
—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody.
—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
The piercing sunlight frightens her.
—
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.
—
Usa Today Network,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Her hysteria frightens me and demands to be taken care of.
—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Baker says what frightens her most is whether younger generations will ever be able to step off that wheel — to build generational wealth through homeownership.
—
Elizabeth Prann,
The Hill,
10 Nov. 2025
What specifically frightens you?
—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Maria Colacurcio,
Fortune,
28 June 2026
What frightens scientists more than the sheer numbers are that the cuts are arbitrary and manifestly pernicious.
—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody.
—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
The piercing sunlight frightens her.
—
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.
—
Usa Today Network,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Her hysteria frightens me and demands to be taken care of.
—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Baker says what frightens her most is whether younger generations will ever be able to step off that wheel — to build generational wealth through homeownership.
—
Elizabeth Prann,
The Hill,
10 Nov. 2025
What specifically frightens you?
—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightens
Verb
-
Frankly, the thought of being beaten by the subscribers terrifies me.
-
Aubry Bracco is the kind of player who terrifies a certain (male) demographic of Survivor alumni.
Verb
-
While the prospect initially scares him, the front house manager ends up accepting and is last seen embarking on his first-ever flight.
-
Any loud sound just scares her terribly.
Verb
-
Missile warning startles Dubai Earlier on Friday, a missile warning in the United Arab Emirates caused by a technical glitch underscored the ongoing tensions in the region, following the attack on the cargo vessel and Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past few days.
-
The combination of flashing light and movement startles them.
Cite this Entry
“Frightens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightens. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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