as in frightened
too overcome with panic to think or act normally
The panic-stricken horses crashed through the door of the burning barn.
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Recent Examples of panic-stricken
For the first time in his life, the great shark couldn’t swim freely and, panic-stricken, bolted clear of his world and there was only emptiness, and his tail and pectoral fins were helpless in the void.
—
Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
That afternoon, another detainee called her with a message that left her panic-stricken: Her son, 25-year-old Yoiker David Sequera, had been taken away to a notorious offshore prison.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
These are not the first crew members to be panic-stricken by a stray rat today.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 May 2023
Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
That afternoon, another detainee called her with a message that left her panic-stricken: Her son, 25-year-old Yoiker David Sequera, had been taken away to a notorious offshore prison.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
These are not the first crew members to be panic-stricken by a stray rat today.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panic-stricken
Adjective
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The frightened cat curled up along the shoulder of the freeway when it was seen, according to the Michigan Humane.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
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The Americans in that Nebraska unit are isolated and frightened.—
Craig Spencer,
STAT,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Such a relatable perspective proves potent, as Paula’s deft (and not-so-deft) juggling of the actually serious and subjectively serious grows more and more panicked, her problems grow more and more dire, and her solutions grow further and further out of reach.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
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The censors must have been expecting a great cans-worthy post and panicked.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Discovered on board were three terrified young Mexican women and Cochran, who had died 10 days prior.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 May 2026
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So many clubs these days seem terrified of signing older players.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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But just as with Darryn Peterson, Self isn’t scared to apply the pressure.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Tech firms were quick to abandon their once-proud commitments to diversity and defense of immigrants following the 2024 election and quietly acquiesced to Trump’s attacks on once-scared cows like higher education, free trade and the rule of law.—
Jonathan Weber,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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In the mid-2010s, when every other norm of civility was beginning to fall apart, Jeopardy strategy became a panicky knife fight for the Doubles, the most powerful clues on the board.—
Drew Goins,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
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The redemption requests at Blue Owl included some large institutions and wasn’t just limited to panicky retail investors, this person said.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Panic-stricken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panic-stricken. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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