as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
at the sight of the grizzly bear he froze, being too scared to even run away
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightened
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scared
Adam Thompson, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Camarillo, a substitute teacher, is also scared for her students.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
You can’t be truly trusted if you are being micromanaged or scared to make a mistake.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scared
Adjective
Officials said the scared dog ran and jumped over the railing and fell down the embankment.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Camarillo, a substitute teacher, is also scared for her students.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
The current risk level in the Strait has already scared off most major marine war insurers, who have pulled their coverage of ships in the Strait.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
You can’t be truly trusted if you are being micromanaged or scared to make a mistake.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scared
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scared
Adjective
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The problem, at its core, is that people have been afraid to leave their homes to go to work as a result of the ICE surge.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, some staff members, other career officials say, are afraid to voice dissenting views for fear of being fired.—
Avi Asher-Schapiro,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chesney had escaped from an outside enclosure on March 25, after being frightened by some unknown barking dogs.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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Facing cameras and a swath of media in her tiny hometown, Long Rife was not frightened by the prospect of moving cross-country.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But since the arrival of the feds, families had grown too terrified to leave home.—
Daniel Brook,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Video footage from the rescue shows the terrified dog shivering as the officer calls her.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The realization that many members did not have the same connection to Israel, and even sympathized with its critics, startled her.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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As Alpha waits for the results of blood tests, she is startled by the sudden appearance of a gaunt, jittery stranger in their apartment.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Hamilton and Madison would have been aligned in horrified opposition had Washington, without congressional action, dispatched gunboats to sink British ships.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
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And the posts do tend to trigger horrified reactions from other TikTok users.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Elliott said one comment from a female jailer left her shocked.—
Daniel Wilkerson,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
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So we shouldn’t be overly shocked if the same thing happens this year.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The measure passed the Senate 89-10 but now faces a challenging path in the House of Representatives, where Republicans, who have the majority, are fearful of being forced into a bad deal.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
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Singh, however, argued that Jones was not coerced but fearful of the consequences.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scared. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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