as in to frighten
to strike with fear
thunderstorms terrorize our cats, who all scamper downstairs when lightning flashes
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Recent Examples of terrorize
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
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
See All Example Sentences for terrorize
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
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
See All Example Sentences for terrorize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorize
Verb
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Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Why this message is designed to scare This scam relies on presentation, not accuracy.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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That kind of stuff is fun, [and] doesn’t scare me too much.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Quote of the week Labour seem to be mystified and terrified of the bond market in equal proportions.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
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Pearl asks Sam the changeling son, appropriately terrified by the terms of such salvation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
Cite this Entry
“Terrorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorize. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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