scarifying

verb

present participle of scarify
as in frightening
to strike with fear that foolish woman would be scarified by a mouse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scarifying
  1. frightening
  2. scaring
  3. terrifying
  4. startling
Verb
  • Powell tried to open the stall door, and then began fondling himself, frightening the 11-year-old, who tried to leave, but Powell blocked him from getting out.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 June 2026
  • This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.
    — Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Definition of frightening
Verb
  • Halloween Horror Nights are still scaring visitors to Universal Studios Hollywood, but the park is already making holiday plans.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • More than anything, this adaptation feels scared of being too unlikable or scaring anyone too much.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of scaring
Verb
  • Though privacy concerns around these agents’ access may be terrifying in their own right, for now the utopian vision seems to be winning.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Still, Douglas is unflinching in the book about how physically abusive and terrifying his dad was to him and his brother.
    — Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • As if triggered by this thought, the door buzzed itself open, startling the pigeons from wire to wing, a grand scattering.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The unpredictable motion scares them off, startling them and throwing them off balance.
    — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of startling
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.

Browse Nearby Words

scarify
scarifying
scariness
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Cite this Entry

“Scarifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarifying. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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