spooked 1 of 2

spooked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of spook

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 spooked
Adjective
Know what would make Whitney less spooked? Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 June 2026 The Grammy Award-winning superstar took to Instagram to share her experience, which left her spooked and unable to sleep. Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
In that section, gruesome murders have spooked what few locals there are, and the boy, Caleb (Atticus Affleck), has a shifty, older-than-his years air about him that makes farmer Emmett (Scoot McNairy) quite unsettled. Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 Despite having some experience, including one start last year, Vizzina looked spooked against LSU’s pass rush. Seth Emerson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 She gets spooked when Cole rides his bike too close, or when a Times reporter turned the page of a notebook too fast. Emily L. Mahoney, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026 The return to military exchanges between the two countries has spooked the markets, sending stocks into the red and oil higher. Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 Know More Saudi Arabia has been working on several measures in a bid to boost trading volumes on the stock exchange and reenergize new stock listings that had been faltering even before the Iran war spooked investors. Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Ukraine’s neighbors are on alert Russia’s relentless onslaught has spooked other European countries, especially those bordering Ukraine, which fear spreading attacks from Moscow. Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Kontras believes the case of the patterning was simply because the buck had seldom, if ever, been spooked by a man. Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026 Shortly after, Rebecca gets the bad news that Pinter & Sons, spooked by the meeting, have pulled its sponsorship from the women’s team. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spooked
Adjective
  • Michael was still frightened and disoriented by what had taken place over spring break.
    Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Roosevelt offered frightened and dispirited Americans a vision of a secure future.
    John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Midland Democrat Kathleen Curell worries some of those persuadable voters may be scared off by some of El-Sayed's positions.
    Sam Gringlas, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The size of this verdict scared Meta into recently settling a similar case brought by 47 other states for a total that could reach $18 billion.
    Schuyler Moore, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Instead, coaches have become more and more terrified through the years of seeing their players getting hurt during largely meaningless games in August.
    Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Tempe police ultimately convinced the couple, who were initially too terrified to report the incident, to share what had happened to them, documents said.
    Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • While holding Gnocchi, a large street cleaning truck whipped down the street and startled him into clawing away.
    Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen.
    Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The Florida International University senior struggled to attend classes and stopped driving – afraid something bad would happen.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The 6-foot-6, 238-pounder is basically a gigantic receiver who isn’t afraid to put his hand in the dirt and block.
    Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • When Tae-ha starts a fire that erupts into an explosion, a horrified Eun-sae begins to remember her life before amnesia.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In one early scene, a horrified Pam stares into her bathroom mirror, covered head to toe in blood.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026
Adjective
  • This week’s soaring temperatures alarmed students and parents of the Torrance Unified School District, where some campuses do not have air conditioning.
    Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Some former workers are alarmed that the data sale could possibly harm the public.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The man who was shocked was taken to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan with life-threatening injuries.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But something fascinating was happening behind the scenes, coinciding with the disaster that had sent Olin overseas and left her bandmates, Augustin and Nathan Slone — located in New York City — shocked.
    Julius Miller, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Spooked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spooked. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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