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
People are afraid, people are terrorized.
—
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
The Her Smell director (and, relevantly, former Kim’s Video clerk) fully taps into his dark side for this sadistic little number about a community terrorized by a child-abducting serial killer.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
During that decade, as Jacobs grew from a child to a young woman, Norcom psychologically and physically terrorized her.
—Mollie Barnes, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Jury from Jasper county hears Porter case The other case was a high-profile one in February 2006 involving Daniel Porter, who was accused of kidnapping his 7-year-old son, Sam, and 8-year-old daughter, Lindsey, in June 2004 to terrorize his ex-wife, Tina Porter.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrorize
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
The Her Smell director (and, relevantly, former Kim’s Video clerk) fully taps into his dark side for this sadistic little number about a community terrorized by a child-abducting serial killer.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
During that decade, as Jacobs grew from a child to a young woman, Norcom psychologically and physically terrorized her.
—Mollie Barnes, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Jury from Jasper county hears Porter case The other case was a high-profile one in February 2006 involving Daniel Porter, who was accused of kidnapping his 7-year-old son, Sam, and 8-year-old daughter, Lindsey, in June 2004 to terrorize his ex-wife, Tina Porter.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrorize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorize
Verb
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If the intent was to frighten the population, the move succeeded.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Within my book, one of the things that frightens me most is the fact that with censorship, there’s often not a clear red line, right?—
Fiction Non Fiction
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Nice to know there’s stuff that scares him.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
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There’s something about kidnapping that scares the fear out of you, Goldberg-Polin says.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sharabi, who is terrified of being held in a tunnel, is being moved to one.—
Eli Sharabi,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
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Aldo had spent his time in the States terrified that he would be deported back to Cuba and jailed.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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First baseman Michael Toglia covered his head, too, and was startled when the ball landed a few feet from him.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
28 Sep. 2025
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Sleep may be disturbed by a pet's movements, and dogs may bite if startled.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorize. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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