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
Co-written by its star Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian, who directs, the play dramatizes the real-life violence of Ken McElroy, a man who terrorized a small town for years in rural Missouri.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Byfield and Alex Turcotte were once two of the very best prospects in the sport, and Kings fans envisioned a Byfield-Turcotte-Kopitar center depth chart that would terrorize teams.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
The movie is understood to follow a sheriff and a doctor who seek revenge against a group of bandits who use the cover of a torrential thunderstorm to rob and terrorize the occupants of a small town.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
He is also accused of entering her home to commit an offense and unlawfully removing her in order to inflict bodily injury or terrorize her.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrorize
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Byfield and Alex Turcotte were once two of the very best prospects in the sport, and Kings fans envisioned a Byfield-Turcotte-Kopitar center depth chart that would terrorize teams.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
The movie is understood to follow a sheriff and a doctor who seek revenge against a group of bandits who use the cover of a torrential thunderstorm to rob and terrorize the occupants of a small town.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
He is also accused of entering her home to commit an offense and unlawfully removing her in order to inflict bodily injury or terrorize her.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrorize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorize
Verb
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The Lord in your convent frightened me, Jesus with his bloody palms and gaping mouth, eyes rolled back in terror.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
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How To Keep Skunks Away From Your Yard There are no effective repellants or devices that frighten skunks away.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Shopping malls across Southern California have also struggled to bring sales back as immigration raids continue to scare customers away.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Don’t let the threat of more rain scare you away from checking out what’s going on around Kansas City.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
Verb
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And be terrified of squandering it and hurting themselves much more than limiting player salaries would help them.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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Starring Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jong-won, the film follows a road-view camera crew that encounters terrifying supernatural events at a remote reservoir.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Victor turned to her, startled.—
‘Pemi Aguda,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
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Peafowl can also disturb landscaping and startle people with their piercing screams.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorize. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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