as in to bully
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
refusing to be intimidated by the manager's harsh stare, I demanded my money back
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in terrifying
causing fear
the school's seniors faced the intimidating prospect of the college entrance exams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
an intimidating bodyguard keeping the fans away from the pop star
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightening
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
refusing to be intimidated by the manager's harsh stare, I demanded my money back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intimidate
Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Advertisement In a press conference on Thursday, organizers accused Republicans of attempting to intimidate people from attending.
—Richard Hall, Time, 18 Oct. 2025
Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Just like everything old that becomes new again, this generation has claimed Ortega’s dark, stoic, intimidating, deadpan take on Wednesday as their own—perfect Halloween costume material.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 18 Sep. 2025
Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Smaller children that might find a corn maze a little too intimidating can also enjoy a soybean maze at the farm.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intimidate
Verb
Giant skeletons, scarecrows and spooky décor in intimidating sizes are a growing trend.
—Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Advertisement In a press conference on Thursday, organizers accused Republicans of attempting to intimidate people from attending.
—Richard Hall, Time, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The implications of SonixLegend trying to actually work through their Steam backlog can be more than a little intimidating, though.
—Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Just like everything old that becomes new again, this generation has claimed Ortega’s dark, stoic, intimidating, deadpan take on Wednesday as their own—perfect Halloween costume material.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
Breaking into the tiny house world doesn’t have to be intimidating, either.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Smaller children that might find a corn maze a little too intimidating can also enjoy a soybean maze at the farm.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intimidate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intimidate
Adjective
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In the del Toro version, the creature played by Jacob Elordi is not terrifying, the director told Entertainment Weekly in September before the film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
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The line occurs when the film’s protagonist, Ripley (Weaver), emerges from an elevator in a giant metal bodysuit, ready to fight a terrifying alien to save a young child.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But encounters with the island’s residents, including with his gruff but warm-hearted landlady (played by German screen legend Hanna Schygulla), gradually alter his outlook.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Oct. 2025
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Even more frightening for journalists is the idea that generations are growing up without the habit of following news, particularly for their own communities.—
David Bauder,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
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Witch-burning, frightening folklore, and centuries of war and bloodshed have imparted an unsettling ambience in destinations like Edinburgh.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Children’s Health Defense, the organization Kennedy built into one of the fiercest foes of childhood vaccines, took interest in the Idaho bill early on.—
Audrey Dutton,
ProPublica,
20 Oct. 2025
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Two-time All Pro linebacker James Harrison led a fierce Pittsburgh Steelers defense for years, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Mesidor has formed a formidable one-two punch on the Hurricanes’ defensive line with Rueben Bain Jr.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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Jazz In recent years, the pianist Vijay Iyer and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey, defining composers and leaders of contemporary jazz, have become one of its most formidable pairings.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Several Dolphins who have been on the team for more than two years said Wednesday that McDaniel was more stern in meetings this week.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
22 Oct. 2025
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The culling of federal agencies has provoked stern warnings from nonprofit groups and other organizations that work to protect public lands and the agencies that manage them.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The truth can be far more haunting than any scary story.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
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The movie adaptation was terrifying, but the creepy atmospheric tension in the novel is even scarier.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Cunning and a team of 46 other researchers published a grim study in the journal Science on Thursday that assesses the damage caused by a historic 2023 marine heat wave in Florida.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
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Directed by Oscar winner Bille August, The Count of Monte Cristo stars Claflin as Edmond Dantès, a young sailor who was falsely accused of treason and is imprisoned without trial in the Château d’If, a grim island fortress off Marseille, France.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intimidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intimidate. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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