frighten out of

verb

frightened out of; frightening out of; frightens out of
: to keep (someone) from (doing something) because of fear
Bad economic news has frightened people out of putting their money in the stock market.

Examples of frighten out of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The sales tax in Los Angeles County could go up by one-half percent if a majority of voters can be frightened out of their skin into voting to raise it, again, in the June primary election. Susan Shelley, Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026 Some people may not appreciate going to the theater to be frightened out of their minds, but dedicated fans have kept horror kicking for over a century. Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Frighten out of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frighten%20out%20of. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.

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