affrights

verb

present tense third-person singular of affright
as in frightens
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 affrights
  1. frightens
  2. scares
  3. terrifies
  4. startles
Verb
  • The thing that frightens me isn’t that machines will replace people.
    — Maria Colacurcio, Fortune, 28 June 2026
  • What frightens scientists more than the sheer numbers are that the cuts are arbitrary and manifestly pernicious.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Definition of frightens
Verb
  • The company will need to regain customers' trust, just as other restaurants like McDonald's, Wendy's and Chipotle have had to in the past after health scares.
    — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 17 July 2026
  • As horror franchises evolve across installments, there’s a natural tendency for the creatives behind them to overthink things and get a bit too lost in the sauce of mythos and worldbuilding and topping themselves with bigger, juicier scares.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
Definition of scares
Verb
  • That prospect terrifies Hamid, the relief worker who survived the drone strike.
    — Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026
  • Frankly, the thought of being beaten by the subscribers terrifies me.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of terrifies
Verb
  • Missile warning startles Dubai Earlier on Friday, a missile warning in the United Arab Emirates caused by a technical glitch underscored the ongoing tensions in the region, following the attack on the cargo vessel and Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past few days.
    — Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • The combination of flashing light and movement startles them.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Definition of startles
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

affrighting
affrights
affront
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Cite this Entry

“Affrights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affrights. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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