as in scaring
to strike with fear
thunderstorms terrorize our cats, who all scamper downstairs when lightning flashes
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Recent Examples of terrorizing
Our fish farm worked beautifully right up until the NewCoral molted, growing fins and fangs and one rocky fin, terrorizing the coastline and hunting the NewFish almost to NewExtinction.
—
Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
At the outset of this meditative novel, a pair of out-of-work twins who are haunted by their parents’ histories as thieves and killers decide to go on a hunt for a puma that is terrorizing farmers and livestock in the highlands of Tasmania.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Here's what really happened, including who was secretly terrorizing Lauryn and Owen.
—EW.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Parsons is one of the most dangerous defensive players in the league, capable of taking over any game while terrorizing opposing offensive coordinators and quarterbacks.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
At the same time, Moscow keeps terrorizing Ukraine’s civilian population with near daily deadly aerial attacks against cities across the country.
—Svitlana Vlasova, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Spielberg’s movie about a giant shark terrorizing a small fishing town was filmed in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, just down the coastline.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 24 Aug. 2025
In the 1960s, members of the local Deacons for Defense and Justice gained national attention for protecting civil rights organizers from the Ku Klux Klan, which was burning houses and churches, terrorizing and killing Black people.
—Fred Clasen-Kelly, NPR, 19 Aug. 2025
All Robert has to do is slaughter a few dozen members of the Camorra who are terrorizing the place.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
At the outset of this meditative novel, a pair of out-of-work twins who are haunted by their parents’ histories as thieves and killers decide to go on a hunt for a puma that is terrorizing farmers and livestock in the highlands of Tasmania.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Here's what really happened, including who was secretly terrorizing Lauryn and Owen.
—EW.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Parsons is one of the most dangerous defensive players in the league, capable of taking over any game while terrorizing opposing offensive coordinators and quarterbacks.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
At the same time, Moscow keeps terrorizing Ukraine’s civilian population with near daily deadly aerial attacks against cities across the country.
—Svitlana Vlasova, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Spielberg’s movie about a giant shark terrorizing a small fishing town was filmed in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, just down the coastline.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 24 Aug. 2025
In the 1960s, members of the local Deacons for Defense and Justice gained national attention for protecting civil rights organizers from the Ku Klux Klan, which was burning houses and churches, terrorizing and killing Black people.
—Fred Clasen-Kelly, NPR, 19 Aug. 2025
All Robert has to do is slaughter a few dozen members of the Camorra who are terrorizing the place.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrorizing
Verb
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Though Smith was charged with four counts of assault for scaring and endangering the villagers, troopers did not say he was involved in his mother’s death.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Unlike other security systems that passively report break-ins to customers or police, Sauron security agents are constantly monitoring to provide real-time incident responses such as watching and scaring away a would-be robber via their speaker system.—
Victoria Feng,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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On the same day, 100 cyclists, e-bike and dirt bike riders took over a Boston highway, terrifying local drivers.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The tonal whiplash you experience at that point, the sense that Barbarian can be genuinely terrifying one moment and weirdly funny the next, is what transformed the film into a cult hit.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrorizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrorizing. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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