as in to frighten
to strike with fear
thunderstorms terrorize our cats, who all scamper downstairs when lightning flashes
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Recent Examples of terrorize
Before she was known as Lady Van Tassel and terrorized the town in New York with her ghostly avenger, Mary went by the name Sarah Archer, a young girl trying to survive her witch of a mother.
—
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026
The Hurricanes’ strength all year has been their play in the trenches on both sides of the ball, with Bain playing a major role in terrorizing opposing offenses.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
Kiefer plays the role of the main protagonist, Ace Merrill, who terrorizes the group of boys, made up of actors including River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
But to terrorize people and to create all of this drama, for what reason?
—ABC News, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrorize
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026
The Hurricanes’ strength all year has been their play in the trenches on both sides of the ball, with Bain playing a major role in terrorizing opposing offenses.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
Kiefer plays the role of the main protagonist, Ace Merrill, who terrorizes the group of boys, made up of actors including River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 18 Jan. 2026
But to terrorize people and to create all of this drama, for what reason?
—ABC News, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrorize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorize
Verb
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Mariana, for example, wrote about children being frightened by school shootings.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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While some passengers were said to have been frightened and crying, witnesses to the crash didn’t immediately believe there were any serious injuries.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This being an aggravation of the previous injury could scare off even more potential suitors.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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But to enter the church, berate peaceful worshipers and scare children crosses a line.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Anyone with a fear of heights should be terrified.—
Susan Shelley,
Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
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Daniel Kaluuya stars as a Black photographer visiting his white girlfriend's parents and is terrified to discover the truly insidious reason for his invitation.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The exchange startled Loftus, who this month shared the correspondence with the Orlando Sentinel.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
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YouTube’s growth as a competitor to traditional television has startled the industry in recent years.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorize. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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