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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Recent Examples of panicked
Michael Ruiz , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
Meanwhile, a Camp Mystic representative had reached Matthew Childress and his wife, Wendie, on their panicked drive from Houston.
—Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
News of this development created panicked selling on the New York Stock Exchange, which was forced to close.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
The worker had passed out between the laundry and shower facilities and was surrounded by eight other panicked staff members deliberating what to do.
—Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
The panicked grandmother immediately called for assistance, and the HM Coastguard asked the agency to send out a lifeboat.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
The visual contrast between Patricia’s panicked, mad dashing and the Boogeyman’s extreeeemely slow pace is consistently hilarious.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 3 June 2026
The panicked teen heads home and begs stepdad Gary (Paul Adelstein) for one last dose of the magic tincture he's supposed to be weening off of.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
Authorities said school administrators would face disciplinary action for safety violations after an exit door was found to be locked during the panicked rush to escape the building.
—Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
He was panicked but brief in both calls, which lasted only seconds.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
After driving for several minutes, one of the kidnappers allegedly panicked and Victim 1 was thrown from the vehicle and left on the side of the road.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
Parents were rightly panicked, and fierce pressure was levied on the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2026
The mass evacuation in Garden Grove and nearby cities Friday left some residents panicked and confused.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 22 May 2026
Historically, adults panicked about technology kids loved.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 May 2026
Ruff and the Sabres certainly aren’t panicked after one bad game in this series.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Kolasinski has said Mendoza panicked and tried to flee when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents blocked his car and did not intend to run over anyone.
—CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Concerns of a serial killer first emerged in late 2010 after the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert, a 23-year-old woman who placed panicked 911 calls from the Oak Beach community before vanishing into the surrounding marsh.
—Michael Ruiz , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
Meanwhile, a Camp Mystic representative had reached Matthew Childress and his wife, Wendie, on their panicked drive from Houston.
—Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
News of this development created panicked selling on the New York Stock Exchange, which was forced to close.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
The worker had passed out between the laundry and shower facilities and was surrounded by eight other panicked staff members deliberating what to do.
—Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
The panicked grandmother immediately called for assistance, and the HM Coastguard asked the agency to send out a lifeboat.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
The visual contrast between Patricia’s panicked, mad dashing and the Boogeyman’s extreeeemely slow pace is consistently hilarious.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 3 June 2026
The panicked teen heads home and begs stepdad Gary (Paul Adelstein) for one last dose of the magic tincture he's supposed to be weening off of.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
Authorities said school administrators would face disciplinary action for safety violations after an exit door was found to be locked during the panicked rush to escape the building.
—Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Verb
As is, at this point, a tradition on The View, the cohosts reacted in the moment while Haines comically panicked at the interruption.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
He was panicked but brief in both calls, which lasted only seconds.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
After driving for several minutes, one of the kidnappers allegedly panicked and Victim 1 was thrown from the vehicle and left on the side of the road.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
Parents were rightly panicked, and fierce pressure was levied on the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2026
The mass evacuation in Garden Grove and nearby cities Friday left some residents panicked and confused.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 22 May 2026
Historically, adults panicked about technology kids loved.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 May 2026
Ruff and the Sabres certainly aren’t panicked after one bad game in this series.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Kolasinski has said Mendoza panicked and tried to flee when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents blocked his car and did not intend to run over anyone.
—CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panicked
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
Dolma told me that when the wind turbines were being built, their noise frightened her livestock and carried across the valley, disturbing neighbors during windy times.—
Sanggay Tashi,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
-
Hunters often lit blazing fires, which disoriented and frightened the elk, and as many animals as possible were killed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Many small business owners struggle to provide retirement plans, according to a Senate legislative analyst, and Americans are growing increasingly worried about their financial security in retirement.—
Madeline Luebkert,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
But, garnering the support from those within the Big Ten and SEC footprint is clearly not an aspect of this process that both Cantwell and Cruz are worried about.—
Trey Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
The scientists only got a passing glimpse of the goblin shark before the lights and loud noise from the ROV's motor scared it away, Auscavitch told ABC News.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
Just as Jenner passed by, DeGeneres suddenly popped out from her hiding place and scared the 70-year-old reality star.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Their 1-0 win over England on June 29, 1950, in Brazil is considered the biggest upset in World Cup history.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Golden State won in overtime, and Cleveland’s upset chances fizzled almost immediately.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
In the immediate days after the flood, West devoted herself to getting food, gift cards, clothing, and money into the hands of her Hispanic neighbors—no matter their status—who were terrified by the law enforcement that had swarmed into Hunt.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
-
Besides, Principal McGee is a classic Saturn authority figure — she's composed, responsible, image-conscious and secretly terrified that the entire school is one bad decision away from public embarrassment.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Even those who are apprehensive about sardines should give this salad a try.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 June 2026
-
Haymon was much less apprehensive of expressing her opinions, particularly her preference for Gascon’s policies.—
Rafael Perez,
Daily News,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Her voice startled me, both rough and smooth—like a bottle of whiskey set in front of a princess.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
Zoo veterinarians and staff will closely monitor the cubs and observe their behaviors like making small climbs, scratching through substrate and calling to one another when startled.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Panicked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panicked. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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