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
Before panicking and selling all your stocks, though, a bit more context is necessary.
—
Michael Khouw, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
After hearing about the military operation in Puerto Vallarta, many Americans with weddings scheduled in Cancun over the next year have been panicking — even though the cities are more than 1,100 miles apart.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Annie is smart enough to know not to waste time panicking.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Sandy feet could wander in from the pool without anyone panicking, for example.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 Feb. 2026
Berlinale competitor Dust unfolds a didactic parable, written by Angelo Tijssens (Close), that revolves around two outwardly respectable but privately panicking Flemish business partners, Geert (Arieh Worthalter) and Luc (Jan Hammenecker).
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
But panicking over hyperbolic headlines has never improved an investor’s outcome.
—Steve Booren, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
Families in Manchester were panicking that armed and armored men would be dragging children out in front of their classmates.
—Ernesto Burden, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2026
These seniors weren’t panicking, though—this was very clear.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Michael Khouw, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
After hearing about the military operation in Puerto Vallarta, many Americans with weddings scheduled in Cancun over the next year have been panicking — even though the cities are more than 1,100 miles apart.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Annie is smart enough to know not to waste time panicking.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Sandy feet could wander in from the pool without anyone panicking, for example.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 Feb. 2026
Berlinale competitor Dust unfolds a didactic parable, written by Angelo Tijssens (Close), that revolves around two outwardly respectable but privately panicking Flemish business partners, Geert (Arieh Worthalter) and Luc (Jan Hammenecker).
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
But panicking over hyperbolic headlines has never improved an investor’s outcome.
—Steve Booren, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
Families in Manchester were panicking that armed and armored men would be dragging children out in front of their classmates.
—Ernesto Burden, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2026
These seniors weren’t panicking, though—this was very clear.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panicking
Verb
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Guadalajara will be hosting matches this summer, in what’s expected to be an economic boon for the state of Jalisco, and Sheinbaum will no doubt be wary of scaring off would-be tourists.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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According to Bloomberg, analysts are already antsy about increasing prices scaring away customers, particularly as the cost of living continues to rise.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
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But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One 27-year-old Tehran resident said a strike fell a few hundred yards away from her house, terrifying her with the explosion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Like the strung-up coyotes, the Ghoul typically looks normal from afar but terrifying up close.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hauge called that startling, given that court filing fees alone cost just as much.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
4 Jan. 2026
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Saturday, startling his sister.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
7 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Panicking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panicking. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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