as in to frighten
to strike with fear
the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me
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 terrify
But after that, the administration was terrified of losing Tang – Arkansas had been sniffing around – and in order to guarantee that the coach who had led a whopping 36 games in his lifetime wasn’t going anywhere, gave him a fresh new deal with a bunch more money.
—
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
In this way, Jackson became an easy shorthand propagandists could use to terrify white people into voting Republican.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
There are people here in this seven-on-seven who are s----ing themselves and terrified about what's to come.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Quote of the week Labour seem to be mystified and terrified of the bond market in equal proportions.
—Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
In this way, Jackson became an easy shorthand propagandists could use to terrify white people into voting Republican.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
There are people here in this seven-on-seven who are s----ing themselves and terrified about what's to come.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Quote of the week Labour seem to be mystified and terrified of the bond market in equal proportions.
—Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrify
Verb
-
The piercing sunlight frightens her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
-
While 21 page-menus might frighten the coach of a position where speed and agility are crucial, these types of moments are exactly how Harris thinks his unit will mesh.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
However, both candidates said the possibility doesn’t scare them.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Bain and Howell are currently ranked out of range of the Patriots’ pick, but their length could scare teams away.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At first, the banker is startled.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Jordan and Lindo appeared startled by the incident but continued with their presentation.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrify. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
