as in frightens
to strike with fear
thunderstorms terrorize our cats, who all scamper downstairs when lightning flashes
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Recent Examples of terrorizes
Crucially, this practice terrorizes broader society.
—
Omid Memarian, The Atlantic, 25 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
As the Grabber terrorizes those on the ice (and tries to choke out Finn), Gwen (in her dream state) dives into the water in search of the missing boys.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Jan. 2026
The culminating episode, as the mob smashes and ransacks a hospital and terrorizes its patients, ultimately reveals a frail elderly man, standing naked and alone in an empty bathtub as the assailants approach.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
After gun violence terrorizes another American school community, a suspect now in custody – the gunman who opened fire on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island Saturday killing two students in a classroom and leaving nine others wounded.
—NBC news, 14 Dec. 2025
The story behind Pulgasari is more monstrous than the actual creature, a giant metal-eating monster that terrorizes feudal Korea and represents the evils of capitalism, sort of.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Anthony Fauci no longer terrorizes a free people – thanks be to God.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
The sibling filmmaking duo spent most of the 2010s making a colossal two-part movie adaptation of King’s 1,138-page horror opus about a shapeshifting clown who terrorizes the small town of Derry, Maine.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
Omid Memarian, The Atlantic, 25 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
As the Grabber terrorizes those on the ice (and tries to choke out Finn), Gwen (in her dream state) dives into the water in search of the missing boys.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Jan. 2026
The culminating episode, as the mob smashes and ransacks a hospital and terrorizes its patients, ultimately reveals a frail elderly man, standing naked and alone in an empty bathtub as the assailants approach.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
After gun violence terrorizes another American school community, a suspect now in custody – the gunman who opened fire on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island Saturday killing two students in a classroom and leaving nine others wounded.
—NBC news, 14 Dec. 2025
The story behind Pulgasari is more monstrous than the actual creature, a giant metal-eating monster that terrorizes feudal Korea and represents the evils of capitalism, sort of.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Anthony Fauci no longer terrorizes a free people – thanks be to God.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
The sibling filmmaking duo spent most of the 2010s making a colossal two-part movie adaptation of King’s 1,138-page horror opus about a shapeshifting clown who terrorizes the small town of Derry, Maine.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorizes
Verb
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Her hysteria frightens me and demands to be taken care of.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Baker says what frightens her most is whether younger generations will ever be able to step off that wheel — to build generational wealth through homeownership.—
Elizabeth Prann,
The Hill,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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When Nora starts to leave the room, Cantrell scares her, showing that Nora had the cream all over her face.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The only person on this earth who scares me is God.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What terrifies Iran’s theocrats the most, the fear that eclipses all their fears, is the ability of the people at large to clearly see the essential realities of the present regime.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
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And this absolutely terrifies me.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As the dolphin gets closer to the glass, the Chihuahua lets out a bark that startles the dolphin, who then starts mimicking the dog's mouth movements in a sort of chasing game across species.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrorizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorizes. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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