panic-stricken

adjective

Definition of panic-strickennext
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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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-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 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
  1. frightened
  2. panicked
  3. terrified
  4. scared
  5. panicky
Adjective
  • Discovering that your identity has been stolen can leave you feeling angry, frightened and unsure where to begin.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In one video, a young orangutan can be seen crouching in the corner of a small, dark crate, its frightened eyes wide open.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • In the days that followed, people as far away as New York and Florida made panicked calls to the store.
    — Eli Hager, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Then came a panicked call from Miller, who spotted jackhammers across the street.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of panicked
Adjective
  • Synagogues canceled Sabbath prayers, while terrified Jewish citizens were warned to conceal skullcaps and flee home.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Word spread across the city that the Taliban had kill lists of Afghan women activists, and hundreds of terrified women went into hiding.
    — Azadeh Moaveni, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrified
Adjective
  • The Democratic nominee against Knott hopes for an upset in a year when even Republican members in safe seats like the 13th District are running scared.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Everyone is scared to testify against Szabo, so his legal case is dismissed.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Events came to a head months later when a panicky party forced Starmer’s resignation and his replacement by Burnham as party leader and prime minister in July.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The hardest part about it might be dealing with panicky Cubs fans in a pennant race.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of panicky

Browse Nearby Words

panics
panic-stricken
panjandrum
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Cite this Entry

“Panic-stricken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panic-stricken. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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