as in to frighten
to strike with fear
a ghastly sight that would affright any person
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affright
Verb
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The king of the forest was once frightened by the sound of a bull.—
John Nemec,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2025 -
The prospect of returning to the role, first for a West End reprise in February and then for the Brooklyn performance frightened her.—
Alexis Soloski,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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There were no players who really scared opposing defensive coordinators.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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In the beginning of the movie, Karsh goes on a date, but his grief scares the woman away.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Oh, this shot of Charity with three blonde dolls is terrifying.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
2 May 2025
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So the thought of losing the house itself was also terrifying.—
Ari Daniel,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 May 2025
Verb
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That aural reminder punctuates my days now, and frequently startles me.—
Rob Mank,
Christian Science Monitor,
2 Apr. 2025
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But the website also has messages about residents being startled, as Catanzaro was, by stealthy contractors with air guns.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Affright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affright. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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