as in scaring
to strike with fear
thunderstorms terrorize our cats, who all scamper downstairs when lightning flashes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of terrorizing
Set between Seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things, Tales from ’85 returns viewers to Hawkins in the stark winter of 1985, where the original characters must confront new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery that is terrorizing their town.
—
Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
Bad Bunny, Kehlani, Olivia Dean, Shaboozey, SZA, and Billie Eilish all used their platforms at the Grammys to talk about how ICE is dehumanizing immigrants and terrorizing American communities.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 9 Feb. 2026
But hey, this was the '90s, when being weird for weird's sake was a thing, and a creepy animatronic penguin lurking in the shadows and terrorizing humans in a variety of '90s-ish noir settings is definitely that.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Having violent, untrained and masked agents terrorizing our communities is unacceptable and un-American.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
Second, Obama didn’t send scores of ICE and CBP agents storming into cities to scoop up non-citizens for deportation (with some citizens caught up in the mix), terrorizing everyone and leading to violence in the streets.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Under Paris starred Bérénice Bejo as a marine researcher who must overcome her traumatic past in order to save Paris from a mutant shark (and her offspring) that can live in fresh water and is now terrorizing the city.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
The agency has called for greater cooperation with local authorities amid confrontations between federal officers and agitators in Minnesota, where local officials have accused ICE of terrorizing neighborhoods.
—Louis Casiano , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Like many at the ride, Chance Gordon, 28, a Riverwest resident, believes ICE and other federal agents have gone too far and are terrorizing citizens.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
Bad Bunny, Kehlani, Olivia Dean, Shaboozey, SZA, and Billie Eilish all used their platforms at the Grammys to talk about how ICE is dehumanizing immigrants and terrorizing American communities.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 9 Feb. 2026
But hey, this was the '90s, when being weird for weird's sake was a thing, and a creepy animatronic penguin lurking in the shadows and terrorizing humans in a variety of '90s-ish noir settings is definitely that.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Having violent, untrained and masked agents terrorizing our communities is unacceptable and un-American.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
Second, Obama didn’t send scores of ICE and CBP agents storming into cities to scoop up non-citizens for deportation (with some citizens caught up in the mix), terrorizing everyone and leading to violence in the streets.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Under Paris starred Bérénice Bejo as a marine researcher who must overcome her traumatic past in order to save Paris from a mutant shark (and her offspring) that can live in fresh water and is now terrorizing the city.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
The agency has called for greater cooperation with local authorities amid confrontations between federal officers and agitators in Minnesota, where local officials have accused ICE of terrorizing neighborhoods.
—Louis Casiano , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Like many at the ride, Chance Gordon, 28, a Riverwest resident, believes ICE and other federal agents have gone too far and are terrorizing citizens.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorizing
Verb
-
According to Bloomberg, analysts are already antsy about increasing prices scaring away customers, particularly as the cost of living continues to rise.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Most of that money would go to compensate ranchers for cattle eaten by wolves and for guard dogs, scaring devices or other means to keep them away from livestock.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
-
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Like the strung-up coyotes, the Ghoul typically looks normal from afar but terrifying up close.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
That’s terrifying on a whole different level.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrorizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorizing. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
