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panic

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word panic distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of panic are alarm, dread, fear, fright, terror, and trepidation. While all these words mean "painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger," panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity.

the news caused widespread panic

In what contexts can alarm take the place of panic?

The words alarm and panic can be used in similar contexts, but alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger.

view the situation with alarm

When could dread be used to replace panic?

Although the words dread and panic have much in common, dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.

faced the meeting with dread

When is it sensible to use fear instead of panic?

While the synonyms fear and panic are close in meaning, fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage.

fear of the unknown

When would fright be a good substitute for panic?

The synonyms fright and panic are sometimes interchangeable, but fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.

fright at being awakened suddenly

When can terror be used instead of panic?

The meanings of terror and panic largely overlap; however, terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.

immobilized with terror

How do trepidation and dread relate to one another, in the sense of panic?

Trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.

raised the subject with trepidation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of panic
Noun
Dilshad fled with his family in a panic when water started gushing into his house without warning one night in early September. Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 7 Oct. 2025 Immediately, panic set in among the Swifties. Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
Where rookie pilots panicked in battle, Gabreski functioned like a robot, dispassionately following the instructions laid out in his military flight manuals. Angus Fletcher, Big Think, 29 Sep. 2025 After Jeremy encouraged Benny to show him his skills, Benny panicked. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for panic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panic
Noun
  • The fear was that Jayden Daniels would be limited, that the brace on his left knee — or the knee itself — would hinder his running or his elusiveness, eliminate his quick cuts or somehow slow him down.
    Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Colangelo added that, in these depictions, the fear of transness is more present than the fear of being killed.
    Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Nice to know there’s stuff that scares him.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
  • There’s something about kidnapping that scares the fear out of you, Goldberg-Polin says.
    Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Other benefits of acupuncture were pain intensity reduction, an improvement of physical functions, and fewer anxiety symptoms.
    Ashley J. DiMella, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The stress among the friend group about their costume theme is giving me more anxiety than a haunted hayride.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • If the intent was to frighten the population, the move succeeded.
    Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Within my book, one of the things that frightens me most is the fact that with censorship, there’s often not a clear red line, right?
    Fiction Non Fiction October 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sharabi, who is terrified of being held in a tunnel, is being moved to one.
    Eli Sharabi, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Aldo had spent his time in the States terrified that he would be deported back to Cuba and jailed.
    Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The move, which had been expected for weeks, is nonetheless being greeted with dread inside the news division.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
  • But few Dracula adaptations can summon the depth of feeling and atmospheric dread of Tod Browning's 1931 adaptation.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • First baseman Michael Toglia covered his head, too, and was startled when the ball landed a few feet from him.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Sleep may be disturbed by a pet's movements, and dogs may bite if startled.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Panic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panic. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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