as in to scare
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Recent Examples of frighten
There’s no surefire way to frighten bees and other stinger pollinators from your home, but there are ways to make your living space less attractive to them.
—
Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 7 Apr. 2026
When to see a doctor Ashamalla stressed that people shouldn’t be frightened by every ache or pain.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Many of Hitchcock's movies grapple with similar themes — paranoia, voyeurism, guilt, innocence, and the dark edges of the human psyche — but all of his finest films find distinct ways to thrill, surprise, and frighten moviegoers across time and space.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
Some frighten people, while others delight them.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 7 Apr. 2026
When to see a doctor Ashamalla stressed that people shouldn’t be frightened by every ache or pain.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Many of Hitchcock's movies grapple with similar themes — paranoia, voyeurism, guilt, innocence, and the dark edges of the human psyche — but all of his finest films find distinct ways to thrill, surprise, and frighten moviegoers across time and space.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
Some frighten people, while others delight them.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Verb
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Shopping malls across Southern California have also struggled to bring sales back as immigration raids continue to scare customers away.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Don’t let the threat of more rain scare you away from checking out what’s going on around Kansas City.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
Verb
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And be terrified of squandering it and hurting themselves much more than limiting player salaries would help them.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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Starring Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jong-won, the film follows a road-view camera crew that encounters terrifying supernatural events at a remote reservoir.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Victor turned to her, startled.—
‘Pemi Aguda,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
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Peafowl can also disturb landscaping and startle people with their piercing screams.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bond markets have been spooked by the prospect of political change as the obvious challengers, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham, might push for greater government borrowing and spending, which could take gilt yields even higher.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
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The judge got a little spooked and kicked it down to a lower court.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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