1
as in terrifying
causing fear
the school's seniors faced the intimidating prospect of the college entrance exams
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
an intimidating bodyguard keeping the fans away from the pop star
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightening
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
refusing to be intimidated by the manager's harsh stare, I demanded my money back
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intimidating
Christina Dugan Ramirez , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Is this event also a way to make World and the Orb feel more approachable and less intimidating to the public, especially those skeptical of getting their eyes scanned?
—Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 18 Sep. 2025
The top prize of $8 million comes only after beating intimidating odds of 1 in 3,042,264.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Adjective
Family backing makes the spotlight a little less intimidating!
—Christina Dugan Ramirez , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Is this event also a way to make World and the Orb feel more approachable and less intimidating to the public, especially those skeptical of getting their eyes scanned?
—Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Despite their intimidating appearance, Joro spiders are considered shy and are not a significant threat to people or pets.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 18 Sep. 2025
The top prize of $8 million comes only after beating intimidating odds of 1 in 3,042,264.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intimidating
Adjective
-
The device sounded terrifying – an apparently new, nuclear capable IRBM, fired with multiple conventional warheads, that the Kremlin boasted could rip through European defenses.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
-
He’s supposed to be a terrifying mirror to our discontent.—
Emily Temple
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This pays off to some extent because Day-Lewis is such a mesmerizing presence, Ray’s gruff manner and terse communications hinting at dark mysteries to be revealed.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Technological challenges also proved formidable, as ambitious projects like Sealab failed.—
Danny Robb,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Sep. 2025
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Ong will discuss the strategies and creative principles behind the media giant’s approach to leveraging its formidable library of IP in the gaming world.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The bond between the two men was at the center of a fierce political conflict that spread in Washington, San Salvador and Miami.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
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And Kailey Agpaoa is goofy and funny as Doctor Sister, a self-sacrificing but fierce young woman who has given up her dreams to care of her aging parents while her older sister has a husband and medical career.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Arizona Department of Education's website has information on how local schools and law enforcement can protect children from bullying.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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Nearly a year after allegations of bullying at the workplace of her namesake brand rocked the internet, the Swedish influencer is going back to her roots—and her fans seem to be behind her.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Kimmel, who has spent most of his late-night career as a flippant but not particularly scandalous figure, acknowledged just how scary things had become that the White House might take aim at him.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
24 Sep. 2025
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Halloween, naturally scary, but also naturally really weird.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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That led Judge Cannon to temporarily halt the proceedings and issue Routh a stern warning.—
Greg Allen,
NPR,
23 Sep. 2025
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High-profile stars and politicians of all creeds have been up in arms and ABC owner Disney has come in for particularly stern criticism over the very live situation.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intimidating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intimidating. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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