Verb
You scared me. I didn't see you there.
Stop that, you're scaring the children. Noun
There have been scares about the water supply being contaminated.
fired over their heads in order to throw a scare into them
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.
Verb
The engines scared off polar bears and other animals, so people were prohibited from using them in hunting.—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 Ahiycodae added that there are some advocacy organizations that have been leery of being publicly affiliated with POP NYC because of the connection to Mangione, which could scare away financial backers who don’t want controversy associated with their donations.—Lorena O'Neil, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Noun
By the time the second Thanksgiving rolls around, Lee and Elliot have embarked on an affair, while Hannah's ex-husband Mickey (Allen) fights a health scare, and Holly continues to struggle in her acting career.—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 2025 Donald Glover is detailing the severe health scares that forced him to cancel the remainder of his New World Tour last year.—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 23 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scare
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English skerren, from Old Norse skirra, from skjarr shy, timid
Share