as in frightens
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 scares
There’s something about kidnapping that scares the fear out of you, Goldberg-Polin says.
—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
While the odor scares lots of people off, there are ways to minimize it.
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2025
The pitching scares me a little bit, but that’s true of every postseason team.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
The main idea is that the sudden appearance of the animal scares away any predator or unwanted interloper, much like the decloaking of a warship in a science fiction show.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Persistent, sticky inflation is what scares us.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Slurp scares, and is scared, at the Haunted Hacienda in Pilgrim World.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
More 'scares' inevitable The strategist also raised his 2025 S & P 500 year-end forecast to 6,250 from 5,600, which had been the lowest current-year target on the Street.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
For many gardeners in the northern tier, this month brings the first frost scares, if not the first actual killing frosts.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2025
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
While the odor scares lots of people off, there are ways to minimize it.
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2025
The pitching scares me a little bit, but that’s true of every postseason team.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
The main idea is that the sudden appearance of the animal scares away any predator or unwanted interloper, much like the decloaking of a warship in a science fiction show.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Persistent, sticky inflation is what scares us.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Slurp scares, and is scared, at the Haunted Hacienda in Pilgrim World.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
More 'scares' inevitable The strategist also raised his 2025 S & P 500 year-end forecast to 6,250 from 5,600, which had been the lowest current-year target on the Street.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
For many gardeners in the northern tier, this month brings the first frost scares, if not the first actual killing frosts.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scares
Verb
-
Within my book, one of the things that frightens me most is the fact that with censorship, there’s often not a clear red line, right?—
Fiction Non Fiction
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
-
What specifically frightens you?—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The first time terrifies every founder.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The moped-like sound of the Shaheds whooshing above the rooftops still unsettles but no longer terrifies.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
18 May 2025
Verb
-
As the dolphin gets closer to the glass, the Chihuahua lets out a bark that startles the dolphin, who then starts mimicking the dog's mouth movements in a sort of chasing game across species.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scares. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share