as in terrifies
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 frightens
What frightens scientists more than the sheer numbers are that the cuts are arbitrary and manifestly pernicious.
—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody.
—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
The piercing sunlight frightens her.
—
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.
—
Usa Today Network,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Her hysteria frightens me and demands to be taken care of.
—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Baker says what frightens her most is whether younger generations will ever be able to step off that wheel — to build generational wealth through homeownership.
—
Elizabeth Prann,
The Hill,
10 Nov. 2025
What specifically frightens you?
—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Many of us are conditioned to think that our ultimate goal in life is to be with someone, so much so, that the mere thought of being alone frightens us.
—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody.
—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
The piercing sunlight frightens her.
—
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.
—
Usa Today Network,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Her hysteria frightens me and demands to be taken care of.
—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Baker says what frightens her most is whether younger generations will ever be able to step off that wheel — to build generational wealth through homeownership.
—
Elizabeth Prann,
The Hill,
10 Nov. 2025
What specifically frightens you?
—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Many of us are conditioned to think that our ultimate goal in life is to be with someone, so much so, that the mere thought of being alone frightens us.
—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightens
Verb
-
Frankly, the thought of being beaten by the subscribers terrifies me.
-
Aubry Bracco is the kind of player who terrifies a certain (male) demographic of Survivor alumni.
Verb
-
Any loud sound just scares her terribly.
-
Look directly at the thing that scares you.
Verb
-
The combination of flashing light and movement startles them.
-
If hypotheticals about what could have been are a good dream for New York Knicks fans, then Mikal Bridges is the alarm clock that startles them awake.
Cite this Entry
“Frightens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightens. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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