as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
Ichabod Crane was so spooked that he left Sleepy Hollow for good
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scared
to strike with fear
the sudden noise spooked her out of her skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spooked
John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
The new model’s research and analysis abilities are likely what spooked financial services investors on Friday.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
In the mid-1990s, when Catherine O’Hara flew into Lockhart, Texas, to begin shooting the indie mockumentary Waiting for Guffman, she felt spooked.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
After a strong recovery from the pandemic, investors were spooked by the launch of Epic Universe in Orlando.
—Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
Lake County notice Last year, Antioch-area residents were spooked by letters from Kinder Morgan notifying them about the project that included a reference to eminent domain.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Perhaps Murdoch, who, at ninety-two, fit squarely in the CBS show’s viewer demographic, had seen it and got spooked.
—Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Having spooked the markets once again, President Plump seems to be backing away from taking Greenland by force.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
The thing that spooked me most in all this though, wasn’t the bad guys being bad guys.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
But investors were spooked and dumped shares in legal and financial software and services companies.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
The new model’s research and analysis abilities are likely what spooked financial services investors on Friday.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
In the mid-1990s, when Catherine O’Hara flew into Lockhart, Texas, to begin shooting the indie mockumentary Waiting for Guffman, she felt spooked.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
After a strong recovery from the pandemic, investors were spooked by the launch of Epic Universe in Orlando.
—Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
Lake County notice Last year, Antioch-area residents were spooked by letters from Kinder Morgan notifying them about the project that included a reference to eminent domain.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Perhaps Murdoch, who, at ninety-two, fit squarely in the CBS show’s viewer demographic, had seen it and got spooked.
—Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Having spooked the markets once again, President Plump seems to be backing away from taking Greenland by force.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
The thing that spooked me most in all this though, wasn’t the bad guys being bad guys.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spooked
Adjective
-
And so if this gets replicated, if there’s a spreading of feelings of fear, the most vulnerable people will be frightened to turn out.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Both release a strong spray, or musk, when frightened.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That scream likely scared off the man who showed no signs of backing off.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Broadly, more IPOs are expected this year, thanks to interest rate cuts and a large backlog of companies that have been scared off by market volatility and recession fears.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In one of those realities (the actual one most of us are living in), a growing number of people across the political spectrum are angered, terrified and disgusted by actions being taken in their names by people and agencies which seem to have little or no accountability.—
Brenda Looper,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
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The bodycam video was an eye-opening look at the frightening aftermath of the Brown campus shooting when police were searching room-by-room for the suspect, trying to comfort and care for terrified students, and trying to coordinate with campus police to get past locked doors.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
Adjective
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What happens to the funding for buses and light rail when people are afraid to ride them, and no one buys bus tickets?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
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Too Much Wall Art Wall art is a great way to make a space feel more complete, but don't be afraid to leave some blank space here and there.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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You’re just horrified at what those kinds of impacts have.—
Andrew Dampf,
Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2026
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You’re just horrified at what those kinds of impacts have.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Others in Guojun’s orbit were more alarmed.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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This year's software stock sell-off, which accelerated Tuesday, has alarmed investors, traders and analysts who worry the slide has further to go.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Reigning champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman, also known as MJF, looked shocked as the chant began, staring into the camera wide eyed before scanning the crowd.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Fans shared their shocked reactions to the incident on social media.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spooked. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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