variants
also appal
as in to terrify
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
conditions inside the house overrun with cats simply appalled animal control officers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of appall
Spielberg imagined it as a noise that has the power to appall.
—
David Denby, Vulture, 3 July 2025
Still, there is plenty here that should appall both Democrats and Republicans.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Dismay or appall you, sure, but never surprise you.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
That kind of appalls me to think that people need not expect that of themselves.
—David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
What appalls him now is a lack of accountability in Netanyahu’s government.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2024
Kunzig: Alejandra, the weather this year kept finding fresh ways to appall us.
—Susan Goldberg, National Geographic, 9 Dec. 2021
The whiteness of the fantasy village will appall some — including, presumably, those who protested Gelman’s leadership of The Wing, that women-only co-working operation whose own workforce was notoriously segregated by race.
—Grace Lavery, Curbed, 20 Apr. 2022
Are there some whose only aim is to appall and disturb?
—Mark Shanahan, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Dec. 2022
David Denby, Vulture, 3 July 2025
Still, there is plenty here that should appall both Democrats and Republicans.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Dismay or appall you, sure, but never surprise you.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
That kind of appalls me to think that people need not expect that of themselves.
—David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
What appalls him now is a lack of accountability in Netanyahu’s government.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2024
Kunzig: Alejandra, the weather this year kept finding fresh ways to appall us.
—Susan Goldberg, National Geographic, 9 Dec. 2021
The whiteness of the fantasy village will appall some — including, presumably, those who protested Gelman’s leadership of The Wing, that women-only co-working operation whose own workforce was notoriously segregated by race.
—Grace Lavery, Curbed, 20 Apr. 2022
Are there some whose only aim is to appall and disturb?
—Mark Shanahan, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appall
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
-
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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Hallways, for example, have terrazzo flooring, curved edges and rounded doorways that provide a stately counterpoint to Faena’s flamboyance.—
Jennifer Kester,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
-
Tatiana slammed the horn and floored the gas pedal, roaring into her backyard.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2025
Verb
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But their return has also angered and frightened livestock farmers and others in rural communities who are having to learn to live alongside these once nearly-extinct creatures.—
Ruth Sherlock,
NPR,
9 July 2025
-
But on Friday night, the booms and blasts of celebratory fireworks appear to have frightened them away.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2025
Verb
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The combination of a floodlight and a camera is a great way to scare off intruders and get better quality footage at night.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
11 July 2025
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Simply pull the pin, and the device will emit a blaring siren sound in combination with a strobe light that will draw attention to your situation and scare away would-be threats.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Dangerous enough to raise the stakes, but not too gruesome to shock young viewers.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
5 July 2025
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There have been nearly 2,000 episodes of the Real Housewives franchise at this point, so for these women to still find new ways to shock me is beyond remarkable.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Now people bothered by the insects have another reason to be disgusted by them.—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
-
The judge, though disgusted at her antics, still stands firm in his decision to give the prosecution access to those records because the reports about the divorce are still accessible to the jury.—
Ayan Artan,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The dog's sorrowful face captured attention online, as internet users were horrified at what happened to such an old pup.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
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In 2020, the world was horrified by images of refugee children separated from their families and caged at the southern border.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Verb
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While some Hollywood studios such as Lionsgate and Blumhouse have collaborated with AI companies, others have been reluctant to announce partnerships at the risk of offending talent that have voiced concerns over how AI could be used to alter their digital likeness without adequate compensation.—
Wendy Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
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The LinkedIn feed is full of safe, vanilla content because everyone's scared to offend.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Appall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appall. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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