as in to frighten
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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.
Recent Examples of scare
Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Advertisement Rather than scaring pregnant women away from medications, efforts to ensure high quality prenatal care, manage infections or environmental exposures, and support physical and mental health are key.
—Dr. Sunny Patel, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Dolly Parton‘s hair and spirits are as high as ever despite the health scare rumors circulating on social media.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scare
Verb
Bregman likely wants a longer deal with more security, but the physical factors in his game could scare the Red Sox.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Advertisement Rather than scaring pregnant women away from medications, efforts to ensure high quality prenatal care, manage infections or environmental exposures, and support physical and mental health are key.
—Dr. Sunny Patel, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
The following clips showed Kourtney and Travis making their way through the scare setup, which included actors dressed up as the film's antagonist The Grabber in the character's terrifying mask, along with a van filled with missing posters for members of Kourtney and Travis' family.
—Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Dolly Parton‘s hair and spirits are as high as ever despite the health scare rumors circulating on social media.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scare
Verb
-
There are no effective repellents or devices that frighten away raccoons.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
-
One, frightened, pressed her belly into the pavement.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The interlocking deals also have boosted fears of a bubble in AI spending, particularly as many of these partnerships involve OpenAI, a fast-growing but unprofitable business.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Sometimes, a long pause in stalking behavior is a tactic designed to create more fear by allowing the victim to drop their guard before restarting the behavior, said Aims Babich, director of survivor services at SafeHouse Denver, an emergency shelter for survivors of domestic violence.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Mariners are terrified of the Carpenter versus Kirby matchup.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The weight of it terrified her; That Rock seemed to want to pull her somewhere deep inside the ground.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But last week saw an observable upwelling of anxiety, reflecting a break of the preceding low-volatility climb and some possible pent-up selling from historically elevated equity allocations.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
18 Oct. 2025
-
That anxiety is reflected in the polling.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
It’s designed for convenience and quiet operation, featuring a sleep mode that won't startle anyone.—
Christine Persaud,
USA Today,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Who jumped, startled, when Rey laughed nervously.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
On an evening that began with panic in USC’s backfield, the walk-on gave Riley reason to exhale amid the chaos.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The colorless liquid is now responsible for an ongoing health crisis that has triggered a nationwide panic affecting about 100 million people across six states in Brazil, according to health authorities.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scare. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share