as in to frighten
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fear
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
fired over their heads in order to throw a scare into them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scare
Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Loud noises, like a balloon popping, can startle or scare her.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Sep. 2025
Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Denver gave them one of the biggest scares of anyone in the playoffs last year, pushing them to seven games.
—Ryan Stano, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scare
Verb
Goddard said the fact that spending continued despite the new rules showed concerns that disclosures would scare away donors were overblown.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Loud noises, like a balloon popping, can startle or scare her.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
Could all of this scare TIFF into taking this title off its schedule?
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Denver gave them one of the biggest scares of anyone in the playoffs last year, pushing them to seven games.
—Ryan Stano, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scare
Verb
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Judy Hernandez’ husband Raul, a co-founder of the community group the Resurrection Project, dismissed those plans as a political stunt geared to create fear and frighten Spanish-speaking people.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Many of us are conditioned to think that our ultimate goal in life is to be with someone, so much so, that the mere thought of being alone frightens us.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Mothers told Fletcher of sending their children to live elsewhere for fear they will be raped in the displacement camps, a constant worry.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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The stock is still benefiting from having been dismissed and cheapened by prior fears of its search franchise being disrupted.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In that episode, the college football fans are terrified to find themselves in Pro Town, a place where people go to yoga on Saturdays.—
Kristi Dosh,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Murillo recalled a Cuban grandmother whose grandchildren were terrified to go to school after their father was detained in front of them at their own home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Add in the possibility of more extensive – and costly – work such as bridges, crowns, extractions or implants, and the anxiety can grow even stronger.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The enthusiasm around personal curriculums and independent learning might reflect modern-day anxieties.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Seagulls lift off the beach, startled by the sudden salty cacophony.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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While some dogs are more confident, others may become easily startled by noises, objects, or movements that appear harmless to humans.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Widespread panic and pain People who were not directly exposed to the disaster but who were exposed to the news also experience distress, anxiety or symptoms of PTSD.—
Arash Javanbakht,
The Conversation,
15 Sep. 2025
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Naturally the thought of death came into one’s mind occasionally but one tried to be sensible about it, not getting into a panic, not pushing it away.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scare. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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