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
Relevance
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
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
What frightened me most was what might happen to my children.
—
Monica Rodriguez-Aguilera,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2026
William Finnegan,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Thoughts of those frightening weeks in the early spring of 2024, and the months that followed, are never far away.
—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
28 June 2026
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.
—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Verb
But her outbursts frightened the children too.
—
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
What frightened me most was what might happen to my children.
—
Monica Rodriguez-Aguilera,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
Climbers die at a frightening rate, but the deaths are almost always ascribed to errors and accidents.
—
William Finnegan,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Thoughts of those frightening weeks in the early spring of 2024, and the months that followed, are never far away.
—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
28 June 2026
Verb
Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.
—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.
—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Verb
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There was one American flag sign lit, with some storefront decor gleaming red, white and blue, but the heat seemingly scared most away from celebrating July 4 before Saturday's big day.
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Johnson says Monday was her first time on the Wild Mouse attraction; however, the experience did not scare her away from the park.
Verb
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Should Hentges have chosen unemployment instead of a contract because the Giants play in San Francisco and their organization is terrified of people like Slusser?
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While the Fourth of July can be a ton of fun, loud fireworks and firecrackers can terrify pets — and concern their owners.
Verb
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The mobile phone alert startled many across the city-state of Dubai, the first such alert since the interim ceasefire.
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Lansley said she has been startled by how chatbots can appear to display emotional intelligence.
Verb
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Makarim, who left Gojek in 2019 to join the cabinet under then President Joko Widodo, has warned that the case could deter professionals from entering public service and spook investors worried about legal uncertainty in Indonesia.
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Critics warn the measure could spook some of California’s highest earners into moving out of fear of future taxes, jeopardizing the state’s long-term fiscal health.
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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