reign of terror

noun phrase

: a state or a period of time marked by violence often committed by those in power that produces widespread terror

Examples of reign of terror in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Actor Donald Pleasence, who plays the psychiatrist intent on stopping Michael's reign of terror in five installments of the franchise, was paid the additional $20,000 for his five days of work on the project, but the veteran actor gave the low-budget affair a real sense of gravitas. Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025 Throughout his reign of terror, mainly in the 1970s, he was known to have had at least 33 victims. Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025 No team has found a solution to Son and Denis Bouanga’s reign of terror since the South Korean icon’s arrival for a league-record transfer fee 10 games ago. Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025 Peacock’s eight-part dramatization is one of the better ones, and covers the reign of terror of 1970s killer John Wayne Gacy, the infamous contractor and creepy clown lover from Iowa responsible for at least 33 murders. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reign of terror

Word History

Etymology

Reign of Terror, a period of the French Revolution that was conspicuous for mass executions of political suspects

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reign of terror was in 1784

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reign of terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign%20of%20terror. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

reign of terror

: a period marked by violence that is often carried out by those in power and produces terror among the people involved

More from Merriam-Webster on reign of terror

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