as in to frighten
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fear
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
fired over their heads in order to throw a scare into them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scare
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
At 5-10, 181 pounds, Canady is an undersized defensive back, which will scare some teams away.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 8 Apr. 2026
Sporting got a scare from tournament darlings Bodo/Glimt in their round of 16 matchup, losing 3-0 in Norway but coming back with a clear 5-0 win in their home game in Portugal.
—Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scare
Verb
This stock can be a wild trader on earnings days, but don’t let that scare you.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
At 5-10, 181 pounds, Canady is an undersized defensive back, which will scare some teams away.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
Trout has returned after a scare Sunday when he was hit in the left hand by a pitch, but has gone 1 for 9 with three strikeouts over the past two games after a day off Monday.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 8 Apr. 2026
Sporting got a scare from tournament darlings Bodo/Glimt in their round of 16 matchup, losing 3-0 in Norway but coming back with a clear 5-0 win in their home game in Portugal.
—Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scare
Verb
-
There’s no surefire way to frighten bees and other stinger pollinators from your home, but there are ways to make your living space less attractive to them.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
7 Apr. 2026
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When to see a doctor Ashamalla stressed that people shouldn’t be frightened by every ache or pain.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Gábor Polyák, a professor of media law at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, said many in the capital were hearing stories of elderly people in small villages who, since Magyar’s victory, were living in fear.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
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Among the victims were two boys, ages 12 and 14, whose deaths have rattled their community in Northeast Washington and prompted broader fears about an uptick in gun violence that typically unfolds in warmer weather.—
Marissa J. Lang,
Washington Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Monitor was always meant to be experienced with a room full of people being terrified together.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
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Directed by Lee Sang-min, the film stars Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jong-won as a road-view camera crew that encounters terrifying supernatural events at a remote reservoir.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Mergen said recruitment to the DOJ had become harder over his decades there, as government shutdowns created anxiety about working at the department, and as nonprofits became more competitive in their salaries.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
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Where academic pressures run high, so does the money and the parental anxiety.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Maybe their first kiss wasn’t a spontaneous expression of care, but a deliberate attempt to startle Emma.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
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Horner dropped a package, McGuire said, and was startled by the team.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For almost a century, since the dawn of mass screen entertainment, society has passed through waves of panic over media’s effects on children, which have often coincided with panics over the effects of various kinds of mothering.—
Jean Garnett,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
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Last January, a three-day raid in Kern County where undocumented laborers were arrested set off panic in the Central Valley and other farming regions with large immigrant workforces.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scare. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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