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

If Stephanie doesn’t end her reign of terror, Charlie will send the photo to Stephanie’s parents and every elite boarding school in the area. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 29 May 2025

Weymouth highlights specific wolves that perpetrated reigns of terror, such as the Beast of Gévaudan, an animal (or animals) that killed 113 people and wounded an additional 49 in southern France in the 1700s. —Jonathan C. Slaght, The Atlantic, 11 June 2025

Things are looking up for many of the women who were part of June’s journey through Gilead’s reign of terror, but a mother’s work is never done. —Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 2 June 2025

But after her attack on adult Melissa (Swank), Shauna’s husband Jeff (Warren Kole) and their daughter Callie (Sarah Desjardins) flee her reign of terror. —Hunter Ingram, Variety, 27 May 2025

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

Rhymes for reign of terror

• bearer
• carer
• error
• fairer
• ferrer
• rarer
• sharer
• wearer
• cupbearer
• declarer
• preparer
• repairer

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