as in to frighten
to strike with fear
the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me
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Recent Examples of terrify
That equates roughly to once every third stroke – an aggressive form of exposure therapy for someone who claims to be terrified of jellyfish.
—
George Ramsay, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025
In the run-up to the 2024 election, on cable news shows and at dinner tables, Americans debated a question that terrified various groups of us for various reasons.
—Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Oh, this shot of Charity with three blonde dolls is terrifying.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 2 May 2025
So the thought of losing the house itself was also terrifying.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
George Ramsay, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025
In the run-up to the 2024 election, on cable news shows and at dinner tables, Americans debated a question that terrified various groups of us for various reasons.
—Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Oh, this shot of Charity with three blonde dolls is terrifying.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 2 May 2025
So the thought of losing the house itself was also terrifying.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrify
Verb
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The goal of strengthening Washington’s presence should be to reassure partners that U.S. pressure is designed to create stronger alliances, not to pave the way for abandonment, as well as to ensure that resisting China is viable for countries that are frightened by Beijing.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
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The American Declaration of Independence and Constitution frightened monarchies and despots around the world without a single bullet or gunboat.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Start to say no to distractions that do not serve your higher purpose, and start saying yes to the things that challenge you, stretch you and even scare you a little.—
Melissa Sierra,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
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What scares and excites you about where AI is headed for the next generation of artists?—
Lily Marks,
Time,
5 May 2025
Verb
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Sea pens can produce a bioluminescent glow when disturbed, flashing a greenish light to startle predators such as sea stars and nudibranchs.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
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Long time viewers of 60 Minutes are understandably startled by these high level fireworks.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrify. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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