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
Shoppers are rightly horrified at the idea of people staffing supermarkets into old age.
—
Ann Larson,
Time,
11 June 2026
The treatment of Somali referee Omar Artan has horrified many of his fellow officials, who have nothing but sympathy for a man whom few have met or seen in action.
—
Graham Scott,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Pencov was horrified by the accusation.
—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Expecting a romantic interlude, he is horrified to find Jenny’s lifeless body artfully arranged on the bed.
—
ArsTechnica,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrify
Ann Larson,
Time,
11 June 2026
The treatment of Somali referee Omar Artan has horrified many of his fellow officials, who have nothing but sympathy for a man whom few have met or seen in action.
—
Graham Scott,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Pencov was horrified by the accusation.
—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Expecting a romantic interlude, he is horrified to find Jenny’s lifeless body artfully arranged on the bed.
—
ArsTechnica,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrify
Verb
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But her outbursts frightened the children too.
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What frightened me most was what might happen to my children.
Verb
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Don’t be scared by his blue eyes.
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The intent of the letters isn’t to scare people, but to educate them about water stewardship, Talbott said.
Verb
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Supporters — many of them wearing Colombia’s yellow and red colors — rushed the gates at the home stadium of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, leaving fans terrified and bloodied as security struggled to contain the rush.
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In La Guaira, entire sections of Catia la Mar remained without electricity on Thursday after many residents spent Wednesday night sleeping in streets, cars or near damaged buildings, terrified of further collapses.
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.
Cite this Entry
“Horrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrify. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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