scare

verb

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\ ˈsker

scared; scaring

Definition of scare

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

: to frighten especially suddenly : alarm

intransitive verb

: to become scared

scare

noun

Definition of scare (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a sudden fright

2 : a widespread state of alarm : panic

Other Words from scare Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about scare

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Synonyms & Antonyms for scare

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

Antonyms: Verb

reassure

Examples of scare in a Sentence

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: Verb Park staff responded with patrols to scare away poachers and by clearing den sites of shading brush since the animals need sun. — Star Tribune, "You’ve probably been to a Minnesota state park, but that doesn’t mean you know the state park system. It’s amazing.," 21 Mar. 2021 Her son, Shamaree has learned to stamp his feet to scare away the roaches. — Rebecca Lurye, courant.com, "Roaches, broken windows, no power. A family living in Hartford found little help from the landlord — or the city," 15 Mar. 2021 This might suggest that the feature’s intent isn’t so much to scare people off from sharing passwords, but rather to nudge people in the direction of paying for their own accounts. — Jacob Siegal, BGR, "This new feature might be the end of Netflix password sharing," 9 Mar. 2021 The caller then may try to scare you into thinking that your Social Security number has been connected to running drugs and money laundering across the border. — Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, "Social Security scammers now text pictures of phony badges," 4 Mar. 2021 Trump sought Monday to try to scare Republican lawmakers from breaking with him on certification. — Anchorage Daily News, "Trump divides Republican Party on his way out of office with push to overturn election," 5 Jan. 2021 Though Daphne and Simon insist being seen together at social events is merely a shared ruse to scare away unwanted suitors, the two develop a friendship. — oregonlive, "‘Bridgerton’: A deliciously gifted, diverse cast delivers a smart, sexy period romance (review)," 22 Dec. 2020 Cahill dismissed concerns by state prosecutors, who argued in a motion filed Nov. 25 that recording audio and visuals of the trial would violate court rules and scare away potential witnesses. — Danielle Wallace, Fox News, "Judge in George Floyd case upholds decision to livestream trial against 4 ex-Minneapolis cops," 20 Dec. 2020 Plummer could turn on the charm one moment, then scare the bejesus out of you the next. — Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, "The Adoration of Christopher Plummer," 5 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun There was a scare about blood clotting, but significant analysis from the WHO showed that clotting generally occurred at normal rates post-vaccination. — Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Comparing the COVID-19 vaccines: If you have a choice, which one should you get?," 26 Mar. 2021 For Asian immigrants, COVID-19 was not the first public health scare involving a deadly coronavirus. — Los Angeles Times, "Some Asian Americans and immigrants wore masks readily. In a brutal election year, it made them heroes, targets, prophets," 26 Dec. 2020 Erika Benison, 42, has been on and off unemployment insurance over the past year from her job as the food and beverage director of a golf course in the Chicago suburbs, as demand for her job has waxed and waned amid the public health scare. — Washington Post, "Delays in aid continue for unemployed workers one year into the pandemic," 22 Mar. 2021 So the scare will have to be big to overcome what’s already anticipated in the price. — James Mackintosh, WSJ, "A Fed With No Fear of Inflation Should Scare Investors," 21 Mar. 2021 Many questions remain unanswered about the murder and bomb scare, but investigators have detained one police officer in connection to planting the explosives. — Fortune, "Talks in Alaska aren’t likely to thaw the big chill in U.S.-China relations," 18 Mar. 2021 People were still very terrified by radiation poisoning, not just because of World War II, but because of the mid-century radium scare. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, "Blancpain Just Released a Limited-Edition Tribute to a Classic ’60s Dive Watch," 16 Mar. 2021 Don’t be fooled by the early scare the Cougars put into Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference tournament final. — Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, "Column: Despite years of futility, USC and UCLA could have good paths in NCAA tournament," 14 Mar. 2021 The biggest scare yet was an 87-82 win over West Virginia, which, at last look, was ranked 10th in the nation in the Associated Press poll. — Zack Jones, Forbes, "NCAA Tournament Betting Odds Favoring Gonzaga: Which Teams Can Spoil The Bulldogs Party?," 11 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scare.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.