as in frightening
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 affrighting
Verb
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Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026 -
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The growing conflict is also drawing concern on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, scaring away carriers that had sought to make a more regular return to the Suez Canal.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Mar. 2026
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Guadalajara will be hosting matches this summer, in what’s expected to be an economic boon for the state of Jalisco, and Sheinbaum will no doubt be wary of scaring off would-be tourists.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One 27-year-old Tehran resident said a strike fell a few hundred yards away from her house, terrifying her with the explosion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
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Like the strung-up coyotes, the Ghoul typically looks normal from afar but terrifying up close.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hauge called that startling, given that court filing fees alone cost just as much.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
4 Jan. 2026
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Saturday, startling his sister.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
7 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Affrighting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affrighting. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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