as in to scare
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Recent Examples of frighten
The piercing sunlight frightens her.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
While 21 page-menus might frighten the coach of a position where speed and agility are crucial, these types of moments are exactly how Harris thinks his unit will mesh.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
That habit didn’t endear the Alspaws to anyone nearby, including one neighbor who threatened to shoot Brittany after the Alspaws frightened his horses.
—Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
While 21 page-menus might frighten the coach of a position where speed and agility are crucial, these types of moments are exactly how Harris thinks his unit will mesh.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
That habit didn’t endear the Alspaws to anyone nearby, including one neighbor who threatened to shoot Brittany after the Alspaws frightened his horses.
—Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Verb
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During the first phase, last spring, before DHS got the infusion of new money, Noem led a shock-and-awe campaign aimed mostly at scaring people into leaving.—
Nick Miroff,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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At the time, local hunters blamed the Ping for scaring away game.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Since his detainment, Maria said that she's been terrified of leaving the home.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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He was terrified after hearing stories about people dying in the Oklahoma County jail, which was by then recognized as one of the deadliest in the nation.—
Brianna Bailey,
The Frontier,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some cyclists sped by pretty quickly, startling us and our dog.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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This is a novel about Jewish bodies and how people respond to them, the toll of obsession, and the conflicting currents of desire and unease that shake and startle a deep romantic fixation.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, wealthy consumers could be spooked by volatile stock markets.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
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Private credit has been tested since the bankruptcy of auto parts supplier First Brands Group last year, which spooked retail investors and pushed some asset managers, like Blue Owl, to restrict withdrawals.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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