as in terrifying
causing fear
an alarming rise in her fever, causing the doctor to fear the worst
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also alaruming
1
as in frightening
to strike with fear
I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should know there's a bear on your back porch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worrying
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of alarming
Daniel Popper, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Michniewicz also noted that Rice told him something alarming before his disappearance.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 22 Sep. 2025
Bond yields leaking higher since the Fed cut rates a quarter-point on Wednesday is not atypical, and — so far — is not alarming equity markets, inflation watchdogs or fiscal hawks.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alarming
Adjective
The red zone issues are more alarming.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Michniewicz also noted that Rice told him something alarming before his disappearance.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
But also alarming is that government officials don’t seem to take seriously the need to justify the reasons for their use of force, which should only be wielded to protect the rights of Americans.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 22 Sep. 2025
Bond yields leaking higher since the Fed cut rates a quarter-point on Wednesday is not atypical, and — so far — is not alarming equity markets, inflation watchdogs or fiscal hawks.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alarming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarming
Adjective
-
In the del Toro version, the creature played by Jacob Elordi is not terrifying, the director told Entertainment Weekly in September before the film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
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The line occurs when the film’s protagonist, Ripley (Weaver), emerges from an elevator in a giant metal bodysuit, ready to fight a terrifying alien to save a young child.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kids will love sending this Dilophosaurus sauntering across the floor, frightening everything and everyone in his path.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
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Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Grieving Vince, worrying about Bode, and taking care of her Cal Fire family is a lot to balance.—
Alamin Yohannes,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
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Stop worrying about the bubble in AI—its growth is sustainable, three Wall Street analysts from Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Wedbush argued this morning in notes seen by Fortune.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The truth can be far more haunting than any scary story.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
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The movie adaptation was terrifying, but the creepy atmospheric tension in the novel is even scarier.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The government must refinance without scaring off investors or triggering default.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
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Playing on parental fears, The Babadook has been scaring the daylights out of us for a solid decade now.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Starters Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Ohtani make up one of the most formidable playoff rotations in recent memory and their lineup with Ohtani at the top followed by stars like Mookie Betts, Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez and a slew of others.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
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Edouard Langlois, a formidable dark-bearded gentleman, was the artistic director of the local Edwin Booth Theatre.—
Robert Eggers,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Inherently, a writer doing historical research is always victim to this horrible irony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
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There are some horrible things said on stage by the mystery writer that Tony Carlin plays.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, the Cowboys revealed concerning injury news at the wide receiver position on Saturday.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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As with the recent ceasefire in Gaza, those meetings have the potential to turn down the temperature, at least somewhat, in some of the most concerning parts of the globe.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Alarming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alarming. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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