psyching (out)

Definition of psyching (out)next
present participle of psych (out)
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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for psyching (out)
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
  • Starring Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jong-won, the film follows a road-view camera crew that encounters terrifying supernatural events at a remote reservoir.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The air in the room changed immediately, terrifying little Liza.
    Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Her intimidating boss Bill Gibson (Jay Ellis) summons her and some other newbies to ask about Yarn Barn.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 8 May 2026
  • If a thick field guide covering all the plants growing along the Front Range feels intimidating, apps can be useful, Mowen says.
    Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • Plus, nobody will careen past you at 110 mph, scaring you spitless.
    Allen Best, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
  • This isn’t a film about trauma, or smuggled-in social issues, or anything at all, really, besides the honest workaday business of scaring the bejesus out of its audience, rinsing, and repeating with extra vigor.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • He is seen walking down the middle of the street, terrorizing drivers and waving and shooting a long gun.
    Cheryl Fiandaca, CBS News, 12 May 2026
  • Trump is terrorizing our immigrant communities.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • Additionally, there was mention of softening or pricing pressures stemming from the conflict with Iran, which has driven oil prices higher.
    Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
  • The moisture activates the surfactants and softening agents embedded in the sheet.
    Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • But too often those extra years are not healthy ones — sapping the sweetness from what should be our golden years.
    Bryan T. Kelly, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Yet there is scant appetite for such an effort before the midterms from party leadership—as well as from swing-state lawmakers and those who see it as the kind of therapy presenting as governance that risks sapping the party’s momentum.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This perspective suggests that while critics worry about wasting public funds on wealthy families, universal programs historically have maintained stronger political support, exemplified by the enduring nature of Social Security and Medicare.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
  • For months, thousands have been detained there in inhumane conditions without meaningful due process–while wasting millions of taxpayer dollars.
    CBS News, CBS News, 8 May 2026
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.

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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 15 May. 2026.

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