psyching (out)

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for psyching (out)
Verb
  • 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
  • Kids will love sending this Dilophosaurus sauntering across the floor, frightening everything and everyone in his path.
    Pamela Brill, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That’s terrifying on a whole different level.
    Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026
  • At another level, there does seem to be something absurd and even terrifying about the idea that someone who is not elected can become the leader of a country and then will be recognized as the leader of that country and receive the immunities afforded to heads of state.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Indeed, one of General George Washington’s greatest achievements was to avoid being cornered and forced to capitulate to these intimidating legions in the war’s early years.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Tips for Making Coconut Cake Layer cakes can be intimidating for hobby bakers.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • After scaring off the animal, one of the hikers, a physician, attempted to revive Kovatch, but did not find a pulse.
    Outside, Outside, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Talk openly about world events—without scaring them Even young children absorb bits of information about conflict, violence, and disaster—whether through classmates, TV in a waiting room, or overheard adult conversations.
    Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 31 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • People are fed up with this administration terrorizing our streets, somehow in the name of public safety.
    Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Miller spends a significant amount of time getting to know the local people and towns, but every discovery leads only to more pain; more disappearances, more tragic unsolved crimes, and more horrifyingly abusive characters terrorizing whole communities into silence.
    Rebecca Hannigan, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Each of the eight luxurious scents is packed with softening coconut oil and shea butter.
    Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Fischer especially recommends making sound-softening updates in rooms with higher ceilings, open layouts, and hardwood flooring, all of which can amplify echo and reverb.
    Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Stokes, who seldom completes a five-Test series these days, had dragged his creaking, aching body through almost five full matches of hard, hot, energy-sapping cricket, like scraping butter over too much bread, but somehow soldiering on.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Don’t bother wasting your money—using it more than once a day won’t yield ‘better’ or faster results.
    Ali Pantony, Glamour, 9 Jan. 2026
  • People become paralyzed by choice and the risk of wasting time on something bad.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Jan. 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 12 Jan. 2026.

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