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
According to the biblical account in 1 Samuel 17, Goliath was a giant terrorizing Israel and King Saul’s entire army.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 23 May 2026
That same year, Wait Until Dark scared me to death when bad guys terrorized a blind Audrey Hepburn.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 May 2026
Franck may have good reasons to be terrorizing Nora’s family, but explaining them away only flattens his character as the titular party plays out like your average hostage scenario, with a few negligible tweaks and flourishes.
—Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 May 2026
The pirate Blackbeard terrorized much of the surrounding coastal South during the early 18th century and eventually met his end in the waters off the island in 1718.
—Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrorize
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 23 May 2026
That same year, Wait Until Dark scared me to death when bad guys terrorized a blind Audrey Hepburn.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 May 2026
Franck may have good reasons to be terrorizing Nora’s family, but explaining them away only flattens his character as the titular party plays out like your average hostage scenario, with a few negligible tweaks and flourishes.
—Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 May 2026
The pirate Blackbeard terrorized much of the surrounding coastal South during the early 18th century and eventually met his end in the waters off the island in 1718.
—Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrorize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorize
Verb
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But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
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This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Stop using implausible scenarios to scare young people and the gullible with claims about global catastrophe due to future global temperature increases.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
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Sizable jury verdicts scare entities into expensive settlements, which raises the risk pool’s reinsurance costs and trickles down to members.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
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It was made that much worse when several cast members laughed at her insincerity and Maddi Reese interrupted it several times because there was a stray cat nearby that terrified her.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
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Because quarterbacks were terrified to throw anywhere near him.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The scale of what is emerging in China’s northwestern desert has left even seasoned analysts startled.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
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The spray of water should startle any squirrels, deer, or other wildlife trying to sneak fruit from your tree.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorize. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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