as in scaring
to strike with fear
the sudden noise spooked her out of her skin
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Recent Examples of spooking
Many other businesses considered similar moves, spooking the state's lawmakers, as Delaware, despite being a heavily Democratic state, has long been viewed as a haven for business.
—
Garrett Downs, CNBC, 1 May 2026
Washington has run large deficits without spooking the bond market for years.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
Energy policy vacillation in the US is spooking investors and leaving the country less prepared to compete in the global economy.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump is also expected to decry the Supreme Court ruling against his signature tariff policies and talk about his attempts to maneuver around that decision without depending on Congress or spooking financial markets.
—Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
The president is also expected to decry the Supreme Court ruling against his signature tariff policies and talk about his attempts to maneuver around that decision without depending on Congress or spooking financial markets.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Penn’s presence became a form of soft validation for a project that was already spooking investors, undermining private industry through expropriations, and hollowing out checks and balances.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
This may signal that condo laws are no longer spooking would-be buyers.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 29 Dec. 2025
The increasingly circular nature of deals between key AI firms and the emergence of debt financing is also spooking investors, who are quick to draw comparisons to the dot-com bubble.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 27 Nov. 2025
Garrett Downs, CNBC, 1 May 2026
Washington has run large deficits without spooking the bond market for years.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
Energy policy vacillation in the US is spooking investors and leaving the country less prepared to compete in the global economy.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump is also expected to decry the Supreme Court ruling against his signature tariff policies and talk about his attempts to maneuver around that decision without depending on Congress or spooking financial markets.
—Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
The president is also expected to decry the Supreme Court ruling against his signature tariff policies and talk about his attempts to maneuver around that decision without depending on Congress or spooking financial markets.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Penn’s presence became a form of soft validation for a project that was already spooking investors, undermining private industry through expropriations, and hollowing out checks and balances.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
This may signal that condo laws are no longer spooking would-be buyers.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 29 Dec. 2025
The increasingly circular nature of deals between key AI firms and the emergence of debt financing is also spooking investors, who are quick to draw comparisons to the dot-com bubble.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 27 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spooking
Verb
-
That combination—higher costs, fewer flights, and steady demand—has given airlines more room to raise fares without scaring off travelers.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 May 2026
-
Schwarzenegger’s strategy energized Californians who wanted to punish incumbent Democrats, but avoided scaring too many of the state’s median voters.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
-
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is breathtaking and also terrifying with a 4-year-old along.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
Facing the endless Cylon onslaught in the void of space is terrifying even in 2D battles, but many of Scattered Hopes' gut punches happen during unexpected narrative events or tough choices that doom entire ship populations.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spooking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spooking. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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