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
Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 11 Feb. 2026
That scream likely scared off the man who showed no signs of backing off.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Julian Givi, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2026
The Warriors struggled with their long range shooting for much of the game before finally finding some touch early in the fourth quarter to put a scare in the home team before the Lakers pulled away for good.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scare
Verb
Announcing the otters' presence might encourage people to try to find the otters, which could scare them away, Riner explained.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 11 Feb. 2026
That scream likely scared off the man who showed no signs of backing off.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
But the backlash was strongest when audiences expected personal effort – a boss expressing sympathy after a tragedy, or a note sent to all staff members celebrating a colleague’s recovery from a health scare.
—Julian Givi, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2026
The Warriors struggled with their long range shooting for much of the game before finally finding some touch early in the fourth quarter to put a scare in the home team before the Lakers pulled away for good.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scare
Verb
-
Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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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
Noun
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The killings of Good and Pretti sparked further fear and backlash.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Twelve years after an NFL game was first shown on television in a period of fear of war and triumph in war, the championship game itself was broadcast across the country for the first time.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Quote of the week Labour seem to be mystified and terrified of the bond market in equal proportions.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
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Pearl asks Sam the changeling son, appropriately terrified by the terms of such salvation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Our cousins just over the border in Wisconsin kept up a steady stream of taunts, trash-talking the Bears and causing us all a lot of anxiety as the minutes ticked by.—
Erendira Rendon,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
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Experts say exercise during pregnancy and after birth can help lower anxiety, improve sleep, and boost your mood.—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Twyla Tharp’s ballet Push Comes to Shove, which premiered in 1976, startled and delighted audiences with its coy, self-referential humor, and its flirtation with popular dance styles such as jazz and tango.—
Sara Krolewski,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
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After several chest compressions, Briana startled awake and cried.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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January’s nonfarm payrolls report and consumer price index, set to hit screens days after their original release dates , could re-instill confidence in the market following a recent bout of panic selling.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
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That level of panic is premature, experts say.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scare. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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