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
Cora Engelbrecht, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2025
Do the spectres of Russia, China, and North Korea actually frighten people in the United States?
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
Johnny Dodd, People.com, 3 May 2025
If the original recipe and its volume are at all frightening to you, Southern Living has a gussied-up, photo-worthy version that has a much more manageable yield of six servings.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Verb
In a parliamentary debate in October, Blair McDougall, a Scottish MP, said his Hong Kong constituents were frightened.
—Cora Engelbrecht, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2025
Do the spectres of Russia, China, and North Korea actually frighten people in the United States?
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Even more frightening, researchers with APOPO estimate there are over 110 million active landmines—enough to circle the Earth twice—buried underground in 60 countries.
—Johnny Dodd, People.com, 3 May 2025
If the original recipe and its volume are at all frightening to you, Southern Living has a gussied-up, photo-worthy version that has a much more manageable yield of six servings.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Adjective
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The family eventually crosses paths with a corrupt theme-park operator (John Ortiz), his sheriff (Colin Hanks) and a terrifying crime boss (Sharon Stone) before chaos ensues.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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As the clip continues, attendees recall the infamous countdown clock that preceded Scott’s performance, before discussing in harrowing detail the terrifying sensation of being caught in the crowd surge.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Every celebrity — no matter how small — had at least one stalker or someone obsessed with them, and no fan was creepier or scarier than the ones obsessed with child stars.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
14 May 2025
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Here’s a scary scenario: You’ve been put in charge of air traffic control at Newark airport near New York.—
Steve Nadis,
Quanta Magazine,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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The renowned American sculptor was more accessible at a smaller scale with a formidable presence at TEFAF New York.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
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Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation Cobb brings a formidable and unique resume to WWE, built across multiple major promotions.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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However, her tragic demise spooks and haunts Jen, since her death is incredibly horrible and sad, rocking the whole Capesode community.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
14 May 2025
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Jurors viewed for a fifth time in two days the video footage of the horrible beating that followed.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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Such legislation is meant to destabilize Pakistan’s internal politics, which is in no one’s interests, except those who promoted such a terrible idea in the first place.—
Christopher Shays,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2025
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Transgender kids, especially under the current president, are facing terrible rights losses and bigotry.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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In places where higher education was all but a miraculous dream, the act of reading can be intimidating, exclusionary, not to mention unaffordable for people who spend their days working two to three jobs and twelve-hour shifts.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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Hussain has a friendly, reassuring presence, making the already-simple recipes even less intimidating.—
Katie Rife,
EW.com,
11 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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