as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
at the sight of the grizzly bear he froze, being too scared to even run away
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightened
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scared
Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
His supporters blame the surfacing of his old comments on a smear campaign engineered by the establishment and the party’s rich patrons, who are scared of an unfiltered populist outsider who owes them nothing.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Jermont Terry, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Broadly, more IPOs are expected this year, thanks to interest rate cuts and a large backlog of companies that have been scared off by market volatility and recession fears.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scared
Adjective
And there’s a lot of Christians that are scared of entertainment because there’s this perception of darkness.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
His supporters blame the surfacing of his old comments on a smear campaign engineered by the establishment and the party’s rich patrons, who are scared of an unfiltered populist outsider who owes them nothing.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
That scream likely scared off the man who showed no signs of backing off.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Broadly, more IPOs are expected this year, thanks to interest rate cuts and a large backlog of companies that have been scared off by market volatility and recession fears.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scared
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scared
Adjective
-
Don’t be afraid to wear these shoes to the fullest.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Feb. 2026
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Thank you for your attempt at helping in the noble cause of mannerliness, but Miss Manners is afraid that your suggestion represents the problem, not the solution.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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This is no longer about ideology, this is about standing up for those who are being wrongly arrested, being unfairly harassed or being made to feel constantly frightened in their own homes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Rightly disappointed, Warren wasn’t entirely terrified.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
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There is a 9-year-old girl sitting terrified and tearful and blaming herself for wanting to see Disney.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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My cat was startled by a loud noise from outside and ran across the apartment with the needle in her mouth.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
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Twyla Tharp’s ballet Push Comes to Shove, which premiered in 1976, startled and delighted audiences with its coy, self-referential humor, and its flirtation with popular dance styles such as jazz and tango.—
Sara Krolewski,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The partygoers don’t really know how to react until Stab interrupts the performance to choke Kid out, and then everyone becomes horrified.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
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You’re just horrified at what those kinds of impacts have.—
Andrew Dampf,
Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Tuesday morning’s news came without warning to members of the MLBPA, leaving them shocked.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Homan looked shocked and denied the allegation.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Border czar Tom Homan says more than a thousand federal agents have already left Minnesota, though many community members remain distrustful and fearful.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Today everyday Texans are feeling stressed about the economy, demoralized by an administration that is trampling on our constitution, and fearful that our government is broken beyond repair.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scared. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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