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 disturbing
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of alarming
Linley Sanders, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Crises erupt across the world with alarming regularity, and yet the biannual fashion shows press on.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Inflation reached 69% — alarming at the time but modest in hindsight — and the first major wave of protests erupted.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alarming
Adjective
Fluctuating oil prices may already be alarming voters.
—Linley Sanders, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Crises erupt across the world with alarming regularity, and yet the biannual fashion shows press on.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
China’s increasingly advanced military capabilities are alarming the West and reshaping the global balance of naval power, analysts said.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Inflation reached 69% — alarming at the time but modest in hindsight — and the first major wave of protests erupted.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alarming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarming
Adjective
-
There is something inherently terrifying about a supermassive black hole hurtling through space at an excess of three million kilometers per hour.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Even their vision of outer space seldom imparts the sense of a terrifying, unknowable vastness.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
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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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Shuttle buses often pause to allow passengers to observe animals without disturbing them.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
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According to investigators, multiple officers were called to the gas station after reports of an intoxicated man who was disturbing customers.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
It’s been scary being a part of these franchises with big followings for such a long time.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Mar. 2026
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But John is, as established, too dense to be truly affected by any scary woman.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 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
-
Saturday, startling his sister.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
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And the escalating war in Iran is worrying some that higher prices across the board will soon follow.—
Heath Kalb,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports soft job numbers, stubborn inflation and rising gas prices, spurred on by the Iran conflict, are worrying Republicans about an impending electoral backlash in November.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Combined with their high reproduction rate, containment is a formidable challenge for state wildlife managers.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The task was formidable, but not because of Moy Sing’s lack of wealth or social prominence.—
Charlotte Brooks,
Big Think,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Among them is an allegation that Live Nation threatens to retaliate against venues that work with rivals, allegedly scaring those venues into complying.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Alarming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alarming. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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