variants
also appal
as in to terrify
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
conditions inside the house overrun with cats simply appalled animal control officers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of appall
After going public together on social media, the pair have elicited strong reactions from people in their comments — some appalled by their age gap and others who quickly jump to their defense.
—
Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Hollywood leaders were astonished; free speech groups were appalled; and the episode triggered a multi-day news cycle about free speech and corporate capitulation to political pressure.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Many of the people who commented on the amendment said they were appalled by O’Hare’s cuts to the Democrats’ budgets.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2025
Leaders in northern Germany are appalled after a shop owner posted an antisemitic sign banning Jewish people in a store window.
—Carlo Angerer, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2025
Yet her book, first published as Sursis pour l’Orchestre, translated as The Musicians of Auschwitz, was a novelized and sensational account which appalled almost all the other members of the ragtag band.
—Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
Governance scolds are appalled by the number, as is the pope.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Kennedy holds views that clash sharply with the president’s legal reform agenda and should appall anyone who supports the president’s goal of reforming America’s legal system.
—Tiger Joyce, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Leo’s appalled; Geno looks forward to eating.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Hollywood leaders were astonished; free speech groups were appalled; and the episode triggered a multi-day news cycle about free speech and corporate capitulation to political pressure.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Many of the people who commented on the amendment said they were appalled by O’Hare’s cuts to the Democrats’ budgets.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2025
Leaders in northern Germany are appalled after a shop owner posted an antisemitic sign banning Jewish people in a store window.
—Carlo Angerer, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2025
Yet her book, first published as Sursis pour l’Orchestre, translated as The Musicians of Auschwitz, was a novelized and sensational account which appalled almost all the other members of the ragtag band.
—Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
Governance scolds are appalled by the number, as is the pope.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Kennedy holds views that clash sharply with the president’s legal reform agenda and should appall anyone who supports the president’s goal of reforming America’s legal system.
—Tiger Joyce, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Leo’s appalled; Geno looks forward to eating.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appall
Verb
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Sharabi, who is terrified of being held in a tunnel, is being moved to one.—
Eli Sharabi,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
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Aldo had spent his time in the States terrified that he would be deported back to Cuba and jailed.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Julie Hall floored 20 kills, pairing with Madison Blanchet’s 31 assists to guide Central Catholic (10-2) to a 3-0 victory over Lowell.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Tatiana slammed the horn and floored the gas pedal, roaring into her backyard.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
If the intent was to frighten the population, the move succeeded.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Within my book, one of the things that frightens me most is the fact that with censorship, there’s often not a clear red line, right?—
Fiction Non Fiction
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Nice to know there’s stuff that scares him.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
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There’s something about kidnapping that scares the fear out of you, Goldberg-Polin says.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Alfred Hitchcock's classic, which revolutionized and shocked Hollywood in equal measure, was famously adapted from a novel that was based on the case of Ed Gein by American writer Robert Bloch.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
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In August, David was in a video that shocked the world and drew commentary from the White House.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Christine assures him that she could never be disgusted with him.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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Calling the mass killing of civilians in Gaza a genocide is contentious as well, but even patriotic Israelis disgusted by their own government have begun to use the term.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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No special effects were required to trigger Curry's stark drift from amiability to horrifying emptiness.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
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After his grisly crimes were uncovered, Gein spent his final years in psychiatric confinement far from the farmhouse that once horrified the nation.—
Aya Al-Hakim,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Reporters in the Brady Room earlier this week were greeted by the meme on a loop; the vice president, addressing them on the shutdown, laughed at Democrats who were offended by the trope.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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And faculty worry that teaching certain subject matter and texts might offend students and, if students complain, lead to administrative sanctions.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Appall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appall. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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