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
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
In fact, fundamentals take a back seat when investors get spooked by the outlook, and even great stocks can take a beating.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But the detentions have already spooked foreign investors.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
When a truck backfires on the street outside her office, a colleague is spooked, but Ziva stays perfectly calm — a moment that gains added importance soon enough.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 4 Sep. 2025
But the deployment of—among others—three destroyers, at least one submarine and an amphibious ready group (ARG) filled with Marines is a further deterioration in the poor relationship between Washington and Caracas that appears to have spooked Maduro.
—Ellie Cook
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
In one of this episode’s best scenes, Dame tries to figure out what’s wrong with Nibs, who has been spooked since encountering the scary aliens at the Maginot crash site.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
Expect behind-the-scenes tales from recording booths where even the narrators got spooked.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
The plan fell apart when local commissioners got spooked by the cost.
—Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
Once the Dolphins burned them on a few man-to-man calls during a 2-minute drill that closed the first half, the Patriots were spooked out of man-coverage almost completely.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
In fact, fundamentals take a back seat when investors get spooked by the outlook, and even great stocks can take a beating.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But the detentions have already spooked foreign investors.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
When a truck backfires on the street outside her office, a colleague is spooked, but Ziva stays perfectly calm — a moment that gains added importance soon enough.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 4 Sep. 2025
But the deployment of—among others—three destroyers, at least one submarine and an amphibious ready group (ARG) filled with Marines is a further deterioration in the poor relationship between Washington and Caracas that appears to have spooked Maduro.
—Ellie Cook
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
In one of this episode’s best scenes, Dame tries to figure out what’s wrong with Nibs, who has been spooked since encountering the scary aliens at the Maginot crash site.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
Expect behind-the-scenes tales from recording booths where even the narrators got spooked.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
The plan fell apart when local commissioners got spooked by the cost.
—Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spooked
Adjective
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Republicans are frightened, too.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Farima was withdrawn and frightened.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The group, which features members all wearing terrifying masks — something that delighted millions of fans at the turn of the millennium and scared plenty of others — is back on the Billboard charts, not with new music, but with the full-length that started it all.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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That night, Encinitas residents and regional immigrant rights advocates hosted a protest rally outside City Hall, then flooded into a City Council meeting demanding that council members take immediate action, saying the armed and masked agents scared them and their children.—
Barbara Henry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The mother, Diana Estremera, was terrified.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
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Wolf attacks on cattle, which began in earnest in the summer of 2018, this year escalated to a degree that strained local law enforcement and terrified residents.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
18 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
Adjective
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Beck has a fluid, quick throwing motion and isn’t afraid to fit the ball into tight windows.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Luckily, the 2025 Emmys shows us that, now more than ever, men aren’t afraid to show a little personality in their red carpet looks.—
Brett F. Braley-Palko,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Prime Video series ends with a horrified Daniel looking at Cherry, who's shown smiling at him with her hands calmly resting on very pregnant belly.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
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Hoffman can’t help but cut me off in horrified pity.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Parents will be especially alarmed and this will place terrible burdens on pediatricians who will need to assuage their worries in order to provide important protections against serious and sometimes fatal diseases.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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That move alarmed Israeli officials who question the motives of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander.—
Gram Slattery,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The astonishing Laanstra-Corn does not play Hedvig purely as an innocent; there’s something as dangerous and emotionally labile in her shocked face as there is in Gregers’s explosive outbursts.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
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The following summer, in August 2024, she was shocked to see her renewal cost.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spooked. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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