as in frightened
too overcome with panic to think or act normally
The panic-stricken horses crashed through the door of the burning barn.
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Recent Examples of panic-stricken
For the first time in his life, the great shark couldn’t swim freely and, panic-stricken, bolted clear of his world and there was only emptiness, and his tail and pectoral fins were helpless in the void.
—
Pat Smith,
Outdoor Life,
24 July 2025
That afternoon, another detainee called her with a message that left her panic-stricken: Her son, 25-year-old Yoiker David Sequera, had been taken away to a notorious offshore prison.
—
Lauren Villagran,
USA TODAY,
13 Feb. 2025
These are not the first crew members to be panic-stricken by a stray rat today.
—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
12 May 2023
Pat Smith,
Outdoor Life,
24 July 2025
That afternoon, another detainee called her with a message that left her panic-stricken: Her son, 25-year-old Yoiker David Sequera, had been taken away to a notorious offshore prison.
—
Lauren Villagran,
USA TODAY,
13 Feb. 2025
These are not the first crew members to be panic-stricken by a stray rat today.
—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
12 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panic-stricken
Adjective
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In May, a frightened horse rammed into another carriage, causing the vehicle to flip over, injuring the driver.
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Rodríguez acknowledged that many remain too frightened to return home even after inspections declared some buildings safe.
Adjective
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As such, the nation will ring in 250 years with barbeques, parades, and prescription sedatives for their panicked pets.
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There is no need for a panicked dash around the nearest supermarket, however.
Adjective
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Campbell found the minister on the ground, terrified and in pain.
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Videos show terrified residents and collapsed buildings across Venezuela as powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck the northern coast of the country.
Adjective
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Humans are scared of him, so Nero becomes Rocco’s favorite thief.
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People are very scared of being human.
Adjective
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The vice president was panicky, the authors wrote.
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In the mid-2010s, when every other norm of civility was beginning to fall apart, Jeopardy strategy became a panicky knife fight for the Doubles, the most powerful clues on the board.
Cite this Entry
“Panic-stricken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panic-stricken. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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