as in panicky
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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
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Redfin’s records only date back to 2017, but that period includes March 2020, when a panicked world plunged into COVID-19 lockdowns.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Issac Lopez, 44, who lives in the building next door, saw Ruiz Lara’s panicked girlfriend telling firefighters her partner was still inside the burning apartment.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Even the country’s most panicked partisans wouldn’t put money on Comey serving a day in prison for the serious crimes he’s charged with.
—Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Lies will not convince Americans who watched an ordinary person get executed by a panicked federal agent in a mask.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
However, her panicked words are met with muffled sounds and a quick hang-up.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
On April 16, a week after that panicked text message from Banfield, Wynn floated another proposal to the bank, this time asking if the school could get a line of credit to cover expenses through the summer.
—Jennifer Palmer, Oklahoma Watch, 9 Jan. 2026
Another witness speaking to BFMTV described people smashing windows to escape the blaze, some gravely injured, and panicked parents rushing to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside.
—Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
This sudden new reality is why the Bills panicked and just fired coach Sean McDermott despite his 106-58 record in Buffalo.
—Greg Cote
january 26, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2026
Instead of making the easy throw to first baseman Bryce Harper, Kerkering panicked and tried to throw to catcher JT Realmuto, sending the ball sailing over him and allowing the Dodgers to score a winning run and end the Phillies’ season.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The family panicked as a wildfire threatened their home.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Having steadied himself a little after a woeful start, Thiaw then panicked when pressurised from behind by Calvert-Lewin in the 32nd minute, slipped and ceded possession, allowing the Leeds forward to play Aaronson in on goal to open the scoring.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Foreign investors panicked, triggering a fire sale of Turkish government bonds.
—Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Their posts — raw, fragmented and sometimes panicked — formed a digital time capsule of how a college campus experienced a mass shooting.
—Leah Willingham, Fortune, 7 Jan. 2026
With young people increasingly fixated on social media, YouTube and short-form video, 2025 might be the year that studios panicked about the state of the film industry.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
The panicked gang leader later took to social media to appeal to cops from a new hiding place.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Redfin’s records only date back to 2017, but that period includes March 2020, when a panicked world plunged into COVID-19 lockdowns.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Issac Lopez, 44, who lives in the building next door, saw Ruiz Lara’s panicked girlfriend telling firefighters her partner was still inside the burning apartment.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Even the country’s most panicked partisans wouldn’t put money on Comey serving a day in prison for the serious crimes he’s charged with.
—Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Lies will not convince Americans who watched an ordinary person get executed by a panicked federal agent in a mask.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
However, her panicked words are met with muffled sounds and a quick hang-up.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
On April 16, a week after that panicked text message from Banfield, Wynn floated another proposal to the bank, this time asking if the school could get a line of credit to cover expenses through the summer.
—Jennifer Palmer, Oklahoma Watch, 9 Jan. 2026
Another witness speaking to BFMTV described people smashing windows to escape the blaze, some gravely injured, and panicked parents rushing to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside.
—Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Verb
Fullerton parent Laura Manchester got a call from a teacher who told her that teachers were running into offices panicked.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
This sudden new reality is why the Bills panicked and just fired coach Sean McDermott despite his 106-58 record in Buffalo.
—Greg Cote
january 26, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2026
Instead of making the easy throw to first baseman Bryce Harper, Kerkering panicked and tried to throw to catcher JT Realmuto, sending the ball sailing over him and allowing the Dodgers to score a winning run and end the Phillies’ season.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The family panicked as a wildfire threatened their home.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Having steadied himself a little after a woeful start, Thiaw then panicked when pressurised from behind by Calvert-Lewin in the 32nd minute, slipped and ceded possession, allowing the Leeds forward to play Aaronson in on goal to open the scoring.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Foreign investors panicked, triggering a fire sale of Turkish government bonds.
—Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Their posts — raw, fragmented and sometimes panicked — formed a digital time capsule of how a college campus experienced a mass shooting.
—Leah Willingham, Fortune, 7 Jan. 2026
With young people increasingly fixated on social media, YouTube and short-form video, 2025 might be the year that studios panicked about the state of the film industry.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panicked
Adjective
-
Cuomo and his panicky allies need the pollsters to be wrong again; maybe with a surge of older voters, maybe if Republican Curtis Sliwa’s supporters desert him.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
As top-tier sports continue to flee pay-TV like so many panicky horses hoofing their way out of a burning stable, the WNBA is nosing around for oats among the haybales as the sparks fly skyward.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And my father—lovable but imposing, a strapping six feet three inches tall with a thick, bristly mustache and a rumbling Sergeant Schultz accent that frightened my friends half to death—loved to tell stories.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Dec. 2025
-
Fortune had reported in its investigation that people within the agency were frightened of examining Boring Company after two staffers who worked on the case had been disciplined.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
20 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
This is a relief for now, but the market won’t stop being worried about memory hurting gross margins until prices come down.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Kids were scared, parents were worried, and the shocking crime instantly became a high-profile case, meaning, of course, that there was high pressure to convict.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Last summer, Noemi Rios of Dallas started the grassroots organization Vecinos Unidos to advise immigrants of their rights and to identify people who may be confused by or scared of the system.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Jan. 2026
-
What really scared me was telling my audience.—
SELF Staff,
SELF,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Buss reportedly was upset with the way James dismissed his part in pursuing Westbrook and blamed others after the move failed, according to ESPN.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The 14-year-old’s girlfriend told investigators that Givens had threatened over Snapchat to kill her 1½-year-old son and that the 14-year-old was upset about it, the complaint says.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fewer said she and her dog were terrified by the booms.—
Tori Apodaca,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Afterwards, several of the people in the car with Vega-Mendoza said they were terrified of being harmed by their pursuers.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Staff morale improves, waiting rooms feel friendlier, and even the most apprehensive new patients are easier to engage.—
Henry I. Miller,
STAT,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Oklahoma providers and patients are apprehensive about WISeR's payment model and how the program could impact access to care for the nation’s growing aging population.—
Jillian Taylor,
StateImpact,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The exchange startled Loftus, who this month shared the correspondence with the Orlando Sentinel.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
-
YouTube’s growth as a competitor to traditional television has startled the industry in recent years.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Panicked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panicked. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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