as in panicky
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Dissimilar Words
as in frightened
to strike with fear
for some reason, the herd of feeding animals at the zoo panicked him
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of panicked
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
The child’s panicked mother grabbed him and rushed him into Brookdale University Hospital but he couldn’t be saved.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Indianapolis — Minutes after UConn gutted out its 71-62 national semifinal win over Illinois, a panicked staffer came running out of the locker room.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
This worry about defectiveness can lead to a panicked call for literature’s redemption.
—Aaron Matz, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
Germany tried it first, in 1916, a radical and slightly panicked move in the face of a British blockade.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
Having underprepared for an audience with Pope John Paul II, a panicked Minnelli offered to sing.
—Matt Weinstock, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
What went right and what went wrong during the panicked scramble for solutions?
—David Blumenthal, STAT, 24 Mar. 2026
Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 15 Apr. 2026
The attorney said that Cruceta panicked and was trying to move chairs out of the way.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Dube isn’t as panicked about its impact on wages and employment as many other observers are.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Police said Roediger panicked, fled the scene and buried the gun in a neighbor’s planter box.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit said troopers violated Paez Terán's free speech rights and used excessive force against the activist, who then panicked and began firing shots.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit said troopers violated Paez Terán’s free speech rights and used excessive force against the activist, who then panicked and began firing shots.
—R.j. Rico, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
When a now infamous MIT report last year found a majority of AI pilots weren’t delivering meaningful returns, investors panicked, treating it as an indictment of AI technology.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
As soon as the words were out of his mouth Phil Schiliro panicked.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The response underscores the intensity of the speculative mania around AI, which has fueled stampedes into would-be winners and panicked rushes away from any industry that seems poised to be hit by the competitive threat.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
The child’s panicked mother grabbed him and rushed him into Brookdale University Hospital but he couldn’t be saved.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Indianapolis — Minutes after UConn gutted out its 71-62 national semifinal win over Illinois, a panicked staffer came running out of the locker room.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
This worry about defectiveness can lead to a panicked call for literature’s redemption.
—Aaron Matz, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
Germany tried it first, in 1916, a radical and slightly panicked move in the face of a British blockade.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
Having underprepared for an audience with Pope John Paul II, a panicked Minnelli offered to sing.
—Matt Weinstock, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
What went right and what went wrong during the panicked scramble for solutions?
—David Blumenthal, STAT, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
Belinda Daniels panicked in 2018 when the pediatrician said her 1-year-old son, Jovanni, had lead in his body.
—Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 15 Apr. 2026
The attorney said that Cruceta panicked and was trying to move chairs out of the way.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Dube isn’t as panicked about its impact on wages and employment as many other observers are.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Police said Roediger panicked, fled the scene and buried the gun in a neighbor’s planter box.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit said troopers violated Paez Terán's free speech rights and used excessive force against the activist, who then panicked and began firing shots.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit said troopers violated Paez Terán’s free speech rights and used excessive force against the activist, who then panicked and began firing shots.
—R.j. Rico, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
When a now infamous MIT report last year found a majority of AI pilots weren’t delivering meaningful returns, investors panicked, treating it as an indictment of AI technology.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
As soon as the words were out of his mouth Phil Schiliro panicked.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panicked
Adjective
-
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
-
Most descriptions conclude that Obama used this quirky exchange to overrule his panicky advisors and run full steam ahead on health reform.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When to see a doctor Ashamalla stressed that people shouldn’t be frightened by every ache or pain.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The marsupial escaped from Sunshine Farm in Necedah, a village about 90 miles away from Madison, on March 25, after being frightened by barking dogs, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That has industry insiders across the spectrum — from creatives and crew members to the highest of the C-suites — worried about the overall health of the entertainment sector.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But Mulligan was worried that some of the obscenities felt too American.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Three Grammy wins, a Men’s Health cover and 275 pounds later, the blood draw that scared him most turned out to be the decision that saved his life.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The coyote grabbed the boy and took him to the ground before a nearby adult rushed over and scared the animal away.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Esther said that Kim was upset about McCormick's bizarre behavior.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The demonstrations have been primarily instigated by farmers, agricultural contractors and road haulage operators, who are upset with the government’s response to the spike in fuel prices since the onset of the Iran war.—
Michael Considine,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Monitor was always meant to be experienced with a room full of people being terrified together.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
-
No matter who was in charge, the Miami Dolphins franchise have been terrified of quarterback competition for nearly two decades, and that might explain why South Florida’s NFL franchise hasn’t won a playoff game in 25 years.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Pressley, a co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, has for months been making the case to Republicans and some apprehensive Democrats to get them on board, according to a senior aide to the congresswoman.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The call also revealed that many of the other cast members were apprehensive about working with Paul, citing her behavior.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Horner dropped a package, McGuire said, and was startled by the team.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Littrell walked up to the man, who appeared to be startled by the singer's presence.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Panicked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panicked. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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