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 woman inside banged pots and pans and screamed at the bear to try to frighten it away, officials said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
25 June 2025 -
Winston Churchill said the U-boat peril was the only thing that really frightened him during World War II.—
Carl Burdette,
Baltimore Sun,
22 June 2025
Verb
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The chemistry is real, but Nic scares me for Olandria.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
27 June 2025
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The camper attempted to scare off the bear by banging pots and pans and screaming at the bear.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
Verb
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The loud noises terrify many dogs and cats into running away — which is easier with more doors opening during parties.—
Jen Reeder,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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The women on the ward were terrified by the sudden invasion of masked people.—
Zadie Smith,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Driver hit a pole after cicada startled them The crash happened around 1:48 p.m. on June 11 in Blue Ash, a suburb of Cincinnati, according to a crash report obtained by USA TODAY.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
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At one point, before anyone could intervene, the baby startled my dog, and my dog reacted by biting him.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
13 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Affright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affright. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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