as in to scare
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Recent Examples of frighten
The woman inside banged pots and pans and screamed at the bear to try to frighten it away, officials said.
—
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2025
Winston Churchill said the U-boat peril was the only thing that really frightened him during World War II.
—Carl Burdette, Baltimore Sun, 22 June 2025
That forced the director to get crafty, almost inadvertently generating one of the all-time great screen examples of the power of the unseen monster to frighten the wits out of us.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2025
Zhou was told that his wife, frightened of the procedure, had run away with the baby.
—Barbara Demick, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2025
Winston Churchill said the U-boat peril was the only thing that really frightened him during World War II.
—Carl Burdette, Baltimore Sun, 22 June 2025
That forced the director to get crafty, almost inadvertently generating one of the all-time great screen examples of the power of the unseen monster to frighten the wits out of us.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2025
Zhou was told that his wife, frightened of the procedure, had run away with the baby.
—Barbara Demick, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Verb
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The combination of a floodlight and a camera is a great way to scare off intruders and get better quality footage at night.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
11 July 2025
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Simply pull the pin, and the device will emit a blaring siren sound in combination with a strobe light that will draw attention to your situation and scare away would-be threats.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Paired with the gray-ish green color palette, sparse decor, and dark atmospherics in the Institute itself, the bleak vibes may be enough to turn some viewers off for good, especially those horror purists who tune in hoping to be terrified rather than just bummed out.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 July 2025
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In a city where so many big plans have gone so badly for 30 years, San Diego residents shouldn’t just be wary when another bold proposal comes long — they should be terrified.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
Verb
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Your trash schedule might not be top of mind this Independence Day between going to fireworks displays, making a last-minute run to the grocery store or getting startled by loud booms.—
Eleanor Nash
July 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 July 2025
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According to a crash report, a cicada flew into the driver's window, startling the driver.—
Kaycee Sloan,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Verb
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With its whip-smart banter, breathless thrills, and macabre humor, The X-Files spooked an entire generation, creating a ripple effect still felt on TV today.—
Declan Gallagher,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
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In that report, there were a few bad metrics that spooked the market.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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