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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frighten
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
The marsupial escaped from Sunshine Farm in Necedah, a village about 90 miles away from Madison, on March 25, after being frightened by barking dogs, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Chesney had escaped from an outside enclosure on March 25, after being frightened by some unknown barking dogs.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
Some frighten people, while others delight them.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The marsupial escaped from Sunshine Farm in Necedah, a village about 90 miles away from Madison, on March 25, after being frightened by barking dogs, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Chesney had escaped from an outside enclosure on March 25, after being frightened by some unknown barking dogs.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Verb
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Plus, nobody will careen past you at 110 mph, scaring you spitless.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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If the bear gets closer, shout and act aggressively to scare it off.—
Devarrick Turner,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Monitor was always meant to be experienced with a room full of people being terrified together.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
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Directed by Lee Sang-min, the film stars Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jong-won as a road-view camera crew that encounters terrifying supernatural events at a remote reservoir.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Peafowl can also disturb landscaping and startle people with their piercing screams.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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The gunfire startled sleeping guests at the Citizen Hotel, which included a wedding party and fans of the rapper Tyler the Creator, who performed at a concert hours earlier.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Instead of focusing on those numbers, investors are spooked by signs of a softening property insurance market, with competition increasing and rates declining.—
Contessa Brewer,Dawn Giel,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
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There are some who will speculate that he got spooked by the mention of his existence.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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