as in scaring
to strike with fear
for some reason, the herd of feeding animals at the zoo panicked him
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Recent Examples of panicking
Tabman says Robinson was likely panicking during the 33 hours on the run.
—
Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
So nobody’s panicking, nobody’s pointing fingers.
—Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
That strongly suggests the peasants weren’t panicking, but rather using strategic misinformation to justify a coordinated seizure of property.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025
While some are panicking about the potential event, others are poking fun at the prediction.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Gutekunst likely isn't panicking with that room, but adding Savage would be quality insurance.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Even when Apatow’s not panicking, his mind tends to race.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Apparently, one of his colleagues was panicking about his job and called my dad for advice.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 12 Sep. 2025
Instead of panicking, the founder drove to 10 stores in one weekend.
—Joel Goldstein, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025
So nobody’s panicking, nobody’s pointing fingers.
—Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
That strongly suggests the peasants weren’t panicking, but rather using strategic misinformation to justify a coordinated seizure of property.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025
While some are panicking about the potential event, others are poking fun at the prediction.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Gutekunst likely isn't panicking with that room, but adding Savage would be quality insurance.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Even when Apatow’s not panicking, his mind tends to race.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Apparently, one of his colleagues was panicking about his job and called my dad for advice.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 12 Sep. 2025
Instead of panicking, the founder drove to 10 stores in one weekend.
—Joel Goldstein, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panicking
Verb
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The modus operandi generally involved either scaring a convenience store owner and fleeing with thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes, like one such incident at a 7-Eleven in Walnut Creek where masked men stole $8,000 in tobacco products, authorities said.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
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During today’s announcement, Kennedy at least acknowledged the trade-offs inherent in scaring pregnant Americans off Tylenol, and allowed that, sometimes, using it is unavoidable.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The game is twisted, disturbing, and terrifying in all the right ways.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
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On the same day, 100 cyclists, e-bike and dirt bike riders took over a Boston highway, terrifying local drivers.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In a follow-up video, the owner revealed a gentle method for waking the puppy without startling her.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Panicking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panicking. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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