as in frightens
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scares
Geopolitical scares that faded and allowed oil prices to recede.
—
Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026
He’s also been involved in multiple injury scares to star players in the last year.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
At its core, this is a story about belonging and growing up — no matter your age — filled with adventure, wonder, comedy, scares, and tears.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
The boiling bin freezing especially scares me.
—Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
So, anything that seems random or unexpected scares them.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 15 Feb. 2026
Critics argue this not only scares away essential construction and hospitality workers but also signals a green light for racial discrimination.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
What scares me most with the world, not just the US, is that the idea of truth is kind of over.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 10 Feb. 2026
The presence or the expectation of violence scares people away from democracy.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026
He’s also been involved in multiple injury scares to star players in the last year.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
At its core, this is a story about belonging and growing up — no matter your age — filled with adventure, wonder, comedy, scares, and tears.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
The boiling bin freezing especially scares me.
—Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
So, anything that seems random or unexpected scares them.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 15 Feb. 2026
Critics argue this not only scares away essential construction and hospitality workers but also signals a green light for racial discrimination.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
What scares me most with the world, not just the US, is that the idea of truth is kind of over.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 10 Feb. 2026
The presence or the expectation of violence scares people away from democracy.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scares
Verb
-
The piercing sunlight frightens her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Aubry Bracco is the kind of player who terrifies a certain (male) demographic of Survivor alumni.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
25 Feb. 2026
-
What terrifies Iran’s theocrats the most, the fear that eclipses all their fears, is the ability of the people at large to clearly see the essential realities of the present regime.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
If hypotheticals about what could have been are a good dream for New York Knicks fans, then Mikal Bridges is the alarm clock that startles them awake.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The project, which Steinberger has rebranded multiple times—evolving from Clawdbot to Moltbot and finally to OpenClaw—largely owing to politics—has expanded at a pace that startles even seasoned AI experts.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scares. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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