PSYCH (OUT) Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

psych (out)

verb

Definition of psych (out)

as in to scare

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for psych (out)

Verb

Kennedy, who was an anti-vaccine activist before entering politics and has sent mixed messages to Americans about getting the measles vaccine, scares her.

— Ali Swenson, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
Labaugh says her husband tried to scare the bear away by pounding on the door connected to the garage from inside the house.

— Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of scare

Verb

Come back to the conversation Whereas adults may be able to more quickly move on with their daily lives after feeling disturbed or frightened by upsetting media, children may experience more elevated and prolonged stress.

— Anahi Collado, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
Last Friday, the artist Pink published a lengthy criticism of Macklemore’s on-stage polemic, writing that his comments and use of violent wartime imagery had frightened many Jewish people, including her.

— Caitlin Dewey, Vox, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of frighten

Verb

Forte said the scale of this tournament might shock and even intimidate anglers from other countries who have never witnessed the spectacle of an American fishing championship.

— Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
Dating back to the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese used the term paper tiger to describe someone who appears powerful and intimidating but ultimately poses little threat.

— Antonio Ferme, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of intimidate

Verb

Since the beginning of July, Russian drones and missiles have been terrorizing Kyiv with exceptional intensity.

— Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
Many of them, including Ned and his childhood friend and rival, Roland, are scarred by their time as youth players, haunted by memories of the sadistic coaches and cruel, competitive fathers who terrorized them both on and off the court.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of terrorize

Verb

The one common thread the Dolphins have had as a franchise in the post-Dan Marino era is the fact everyone associated with this organization has been terrified of quarterbacks competing.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
The new season has ended up with a plethora of new faces to terrify viewers, including more recent Murphy collaborators like Paul Anthony Kelly and Joey Pollari and complete newcomers like Alex Consani and Madelaine Petsch.

— Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of terrify

Verb

James does share moments of affection and victory with Odin but there’s nothing to relieve the constant danger, even though structurally, the film has already sapped its potential suspense.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
High gasoline prices have been fueling a broader jump in inflation, squeezing household budgets and sapping consumer confidence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of sap

Verb

Growth in the world’s second-largest economy softened to its slowest in more than three years in the second quarter, as a multiyear property downturn continued to depress consumer demand and investment in real estate and infrastructure.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
In a microwave-safe medium bowl, microwave the cream cheese for 5 to 10 seconds, just until it’s softened.

— Candy Hom, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of soften

Verb

New Zealand then spent 10 minutes in England's half and appeared to waste it until Du Plessis chased a clearance back to halfway, turned and kicked into empty space and beat everyone to the ball in goal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
This is a crucial insight to have before wasting time and money.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of waste

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

psychotic

psych (out)

psychs (out)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Psych (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/psych%20%28out%29. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of psych (out)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

heterodox

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes