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
  • One night, Bridget decides to leave after thoroughly terrifying her husband with an ax.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
  • For Thomas, unpacking what went wrong goes well beyond the headless bodies, terrifying phone calls and dead ends.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • 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
  • Regan has been accused of threatening and intimidating women who worked for the union’s parent organization, and of physically assaulting one, according to reporting by The Times.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of intimidating
Verb
  • Although the pace of home sales have remained largely unchanged this year compared to last year, according to NAR data through August, there are some signs that higher mortgage rates have started scaring off some buyers.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
  • For their final lesson, a volunteer — who isn't Woodside or Priest — traps the raccoons in cages, scaring them enough to encourage them to avoid traps and humans.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of scaring
Verb
  • On that day here at home, the country looked as if for the first time at every vulnerability, reorganizing local and state and federal government to do everything in our power to stop radical jihadists from terrorizing us again.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Zymire Hughes, the man accused of terrorizing at least a half-dozen people while wearing a Chucky-style mask in Center City, has been extradited to Philadelphia, police said.
    — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrorizing
Verb
  • The women supposedly work more in caretaker jobs like teaching and healthcare, softening their views toward the least of us.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Creamy sandalwood is the star here, with cinnamon adding warmth and ylang-ylang softening things up.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of softening
Verb
  • Stubbornly high inflation has been sapping consumer confidence and pressuring the Fed, which recently raised its benchmark interest rate in an effort to cool prices.
    — Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 29 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 sapping
Verb
  • This is a crucial insight to have before wasting time and money.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This allows massive electrical currents to flow through small coils without wasting energy as heat.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 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 2 Oct. 2026.

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