psyching (out)

verb

present participle of psych (out)
as in frightening

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for psyching (out)
  1. frightening
  2. terrifying
  3. intimidating
  4. scaring
  5. terrorizing
  6. softening
  7. sapping
  8. wasting
Verb
  • Powell tried to open the stall door, and then began fondling himself, frightening the 11-year-old, who tried to leave, but Powell blocked him from getting out.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 June 2026
  • This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.
    — Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Definition of frightening
Verb
  • What for decades seemed a hypothetical problem to be solved at some later date is suddenly a concrete, terrifying one for today.
    — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
  • And there was Erling Haaland living his best Norwegian life, terrifying on the pitch and absurd off it, multiplying his stardom with a flamboyance and humor that didn’t detract from his serious talent.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • Too many people still viewed the nation’s performing-arts center as an intimidating marble monument for just the elite.
    — Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • Tapping into the latter, Momoa’s onscreen transformation is nothing short of intimidating.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 30 July 2026
Definition of intimidating
Verb
  • The dangers of taking a dog out off-leash The danger isn’t just scaring people who might have a fear of dogs; having your dog off-leash can lead to even more dangerous consequences.
    — Tanya Edwards, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Dogs, in particular, appear to be effective in scaring geese.
    — Mark Vrtiska, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of scaring
Verb
  • But Russia has scored some points of its own recently, and not just by terrorizing Ukrainian civilians with long-range missiles.
    — Ian Bremmer, Time, 31 July 2026
  • The defensive lineman could be back terrorizing the NFL this season.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of terrorizing
Verb
  • History has a way of softening the edges of even the fiercest rivalries.
    — Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The drop was driven by worsening infrastructure, softening housing and a high cost of living.
    — Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
Definition of softening
Verb
  • In the game after Newcastle’s sapping 2-1 home defeat to their local rivals on April 12 and after a long gap between fixtures, Howe’s team travelled to Crystal Palace and lost again.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • Unlike basketball or baseball, pro football is far from the point where regular-season contests become meaningless, but that hasn’t stopped its fans from debating whether the NFL is sapping some of the magic that comes from football’s scarcity.
    — Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
Definition of sapping
Verb
  • Children suffering from a condition known as wasting are acutely malnourished, become very thin for their height, and need immediate therapeutic feeding.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Signs your home may be wasting energy There are several signs that your home is wasting energy.
    — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of wasting
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

psychics
psyching (out)
psyching (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Psyching (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/psyching%20%28out%29. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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