as in to scare
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in terrifying
causing fear
a truly frightening movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scaring
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frighten
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 19 July 2025
Methods that ranchers can currently use to control wolves include making loud noises to frighten them off, building fences to keep them out of pastureland and increasing the presence of humans on ranches at night as a deterrent, the state’s guidelines for non-lethal ways to control wolves say.
—Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Chris Rumbold, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2025
Some of the most impressionable age groups — teens and pre-teens — are trying to make sense of a world that can feel confusing, frightening, or unfair,’ says Golodryga.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Verb
In Clueless, Harriet has become a tacky high-school newcomer, Tai (Brittany Murphy), frightened by rough-housing boys at the mall.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 19 July 2025
Methods that ranchers can currently use to control wolves include making loud noises to frighten them off, building fences to keep them out of pastureland and increasing the presence of humans on ranches at night as a deterrent, the state’s guidelines for non-lethal ways to control wolves say.
—Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
These frightening encounters are becoming more common.
—Chris Rumbold, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2025
Some of the most impressionable age groups — teens and pre-teens — are trying to make sense of a world that can feel confusing, frightening, or unfair,’ says Golodryga.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Adjective
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The previous version of the immersive attraction brought guests face to face with the terrifying flickering TV screen, the menacing beast from beyond, and the pool filled with floating corpses.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Girlie joins a team of content moderators who are mostly women of color, swiping through terrifying scenes at the company’s offices in Las Vegas for enough money to keep their families afloat.—
Sarah Rose Etter,
The Atlantic,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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No one seems to know, and that might be the scariest part.—
Aaron Gleeman,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
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After work stress triggered a scary incident, Kelly Benthall retired at 53 and now hopscotches around the world living in Airbnbs with her husband.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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After decades of battling brutal conditions in the Bering Sea, Hansen, 59, is now facing something even more formidable than icy waves — his own mortality.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Huntington Beach: The Oilers remain formidable with the return of All-County duo of Roxie Shaia and Taylor Savage at quarterback and wide receiver, respectively. 4.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The sandwich, featuring ground meat—generally beef—suspended in a thick, sweet tomatoey sauce, has become an avatar of the horrible school lunch, a cliché that tends to go along with hairnets, greasy aprons, and other elements of canteen grotesquerie.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
17 Aug. 2025
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The stories have overflowed with a horrible, glorious narrative abundance.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While the latter is known for its legendarily terrible English localization, both of these were highly innovative horizontal scrolling shmups for their time.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Whether your team is in the middle of a winning run or mired in terrible form, five minutes looking at the standings can convince you that a hundred different futures are possible.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
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Even at just 5-4, Mirabal can be an intimidating presence.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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