as in to frighten
to strike with fear
the old black-and-white psychological thriller still horrifies audiences
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Recent Examples of horrify
Regulars at The Charles might be happy, or horrified, to hear the racy bathrooms did not change.
—
Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
The rest of the league was horrified by the thought of OKC adding another top prospect to a juggernaut roster.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Feb. 2026
When another colleague and I explained this, our guest was horrified.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Many of the Italians who chanted and blew whistles near the grand stone arch in the Piazza XXV Aprile said they had been horrified and angered by images and videos on social media showing ICE agents operating violently in Minneapolis.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrify
Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
The rest of the league was horrified by the thought of OKC adding another top prospect to a juggernaut roster.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Feb. 2026
When another colleague and I explained this, our guest was horrified.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Many of the Italians who chanted and blew whistles near the grand stone arch in the Piazza XXV Aprile said they had been horrified and angered by images and videos on social media showing ICE agents operating violently in Minneapolis.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrify
Verb
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While 21 page-menus might frighten the coach of a position where speed and agility are crucial, these types of moments are exactly how Harris thinks his unit will mesh.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
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That habit didn’t endear the Alspaws to anyone nearby, including one neighbor who threatened to shoot Brittany after the Alspaws frightened his horses.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What happened Tuesday should scare away any of the remaining top prospects who would want to play for this berating blowhard.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Some cities in China have banned fireworks out of concerns over safety and air pollution, but the measures are controversial as firecrackers, traditionally used to scare off evil spirits, remain central to Lunar New Year celebrations.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And with his clutch reputation, teams are terrified of him in big moments.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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But after that, the administration was terrified of losing Tang – Arkansas had been sniffing around – and in order to guarantee that the coach who had led a whopping 36 games in his lifetime wasn’t going anywhere, gave him a fresh new deal with a bunch more money.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Amid a years-long decline in the bee population that has startled scientists, experts are now warning that a growing industry is hurting native habitats and potentially leading to further die-offs.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2026
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The project, which Steinberger has rebranded multiple times—evolving from Clawdbot to Moltbot and finally to OpenClaw—largely owing to politics—has expanded at a pace that startles even seasoned AI experts.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrify. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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